


Victoria Grimes IV: Change

by bamby0304



Series: Victoria Grimes [4]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Universe, Character Death, F/M, Fluff, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-11 22:17:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 67,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16861252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bamby0304/pseuds/bamby0304
Summary: Everything seems to have fallen into place. With Houdini and Aly now in the picture, Vickie sees nothing but a safe and happy future within the prison grounds. But of course, nothing ever lasts… So how will she cope when she’s thrown back into danger and chaos? And how will she find her way back to her family, friends, and Daryl?





	Victoria Grimes IV: Change

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old series with multiple chapters... it would take me forever to upload each individually, so the following piece is one long chapter. If you want to read it in separate parts you can find it on my ff.net blog (under the same name).

**Chapter 1**

**Home Sweet Home**

**VPOV**

We had done so much since everyone from Woodbury joined us. The fences and gates were fixed, cell blocks cleared, tombs secure. Dad and Hershel had even started a little farm in the field with pigs and a horse, growing plants. We made a barbeque and dining area outside, under cover and homey. Our numbers had grown, more than just the Woodbury people.

Things were amazing.

"Morning Vickie."

"Hi Vickie."

"Hey, Victoria. Morning."

Everyone greeted me as I made my way to Carol, Houdini right beside me. I smiled and nodded to them all as I walked past. When I reached the barbeque I looked up at Carol as I leaned on the was cooking breakfast for everyone.

She grinned. "You handle it better than Daryl."she noted, speaking about how everyone treated us.

I shrugged. "He doesn't like the attention."

She just kept grinning. "He does if it's from you." she nodded in the direction behind me. "Speak of the devil."

I turned, seeing Daryl headed towards us. Houdini ran up to him, all excited. I had left Daryl inside so he could sleep in, but he always woke up once I left. He told me he didn't like not knowing where I was.

"Morning, Daryl."

"What's up, Dr S?" Daryl nodded to the doctor.

"Morning, Daryl."

"Hey, Daryl."

He nodded, standing next to me and kissing my shoulder. Turning to Carol he grabbed a bowl. "Smells good."

"Just so you know, I liked you first." she told him.

But I shook my head, smirking. "Pretty sure I did." I corrected, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "You sleep okay?"

He shrugged, absentmindedly patting Houdini. "S'okay."

Carol put the utensils down. "I need you two to see something." she turned to a boy next to her. "Patrick, you want to take over?"

"Yes, ma'am." he smiled. Patrick was about Carl's age. Real geeky looking. Dark hair, olive skin, glasses. He was sweet and funny, and a good friend of Carl's. Oh, and did I forget to mention he had a huge crush on me?

Carol stepped over for Patrick before moving to head off, Daryl and I walked around the barbecue ready to follow, when Patrick stopped us.

"Uh, Mr Dixon? I just wanted to thank you for bringing that deer back yesterday. It was a real treat, sir, and I'd be honoured to shake you hand."

Daryl looked at me as I tried to hide my grin. Sighing, he licked his fingers, getting rid of the juices from the meat, before taking Patrick's hand and shaking it- slightly unenthusiastically.

I rolled my eyes, tapping his shoulder. He turned to me and I gestured for him to move on. With a nod he let go of Patrick's hand, following Carol and me.

I laughed. "You don't know how to feel about him do you?"

He just shrugged. "He's a good kid."

"Yeah, but you hate him giving me loved up looks." I noted.

"So what?"

I just grabbed his hand and leaned my head against his arm as we walked. "You don't have to worry about a teenaged boy, my  _brother's_ age, taking me away from you."

"Yeah? What about guys your age?" he asked, though I could tell he was joking.

"Nope. I love you too much to just leave you for some okay guy my age."

He grinned. "Love you too."

"About today." Carol started. "I don't know if we're gonna be able to spare a lot of people for the run."

As we neared the fence Daryl spoke up. "That place is good to go. We're gonna move on it."

"Yeah. Thing is, we had a pretty big build-up overnight." Carol sighed.

We looked over at the fences surrounding the prison. It was getting worse. Walkers were grouping up, pushing against the fence. As much as we tried to spread them out, they just kept coming, piling up and pressing on the fences. If we didn't do something about it soon, the fences would fall.

"Dozens more towards tower three." Carol explained. "It's getting as bad as last month. They don't spread out any more."

"With more of us sitting here, we'll draw more of them out." Daryl noted. "Get enough of those damn fence-clinger they start to herd up."

"Pushing against the fences again. It's manageable, but unless we get ahead of it, not for long."

I nodded. "Get more people out on the fences today. When we get back we'll talk about our next move during a council meeting. Sound good?"

Both nodded before we walked off.

"I gotta go find Alyssa." I told Daryl. "Meet you at the car in a bit?"

"Yeah." he leaned forward but I took a step back.

"You should see your face. It is covered with food." I scrunched my face up, smiling at the same time.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah really." I nodded.

Daryl reached forward and pulled me in for a kiss. I laughed, giving in and wrapping my arms around his neck. All the while Houdini barked happily, circling us.

I shook my head giving him a quick peck before stepping back and heading for the prison. Walking backwards, still looking at him I called. "You're lucky I don't kick your ass Mr Dixon."

"I'm so scared." he joked, heading for the car.

I jogged into the prison, nodding at everyone I passed. Houdini was right beside me, panting away, so happy.

Eventually I got upstairs to Alyssa's room. It was the one next to ours. She didn't share a room, except with Houdini when Daryl and I were on guard tower duty. Since that day by the bus, she had practically glued herself to us. Whenever she knew the both of us would be staying at the prison, she'd stick to our sides, just like Houdini. But today she knew we were going on a run.

"Aly?" I whispered as I pulled her curtain out of my away and walked in.

We had all decorated our rooms the way we liked them. I had found pink sheets for Aly, and a fluffy cushion. She had kitten, puppy and unicorn posters on her walls. And whenever I went on a run I made sure to find her a toy of some sort- mostly stuffed toys. So her room was very girly.

"Vickie?" she groaned, rolling over in bed. Houdini jumped up, licking her face, sending the little girl into a fit of laughter. "Dini!" she giggled, calling Houdin by his nickname she gave him.

I smiled, sitting on her bed, Houdini calming down and lying next to me right away. "Just coming in to check on you before we go."

She sat up, rubbing her eyes, dressed in purple pj's with white rabbits on them. "When will you be back?"

I sighed. "You know I don't know the answer to that."

She just nodded, patting Houdini, keeping her eyes on the dog. "Okay."

"Now remember, if you need anyone go find Carol, Hershel or Beth. And if you can't find them-"

"Look for Rick." she nodded.

"And don't leave the prison. Unless it's being evacuated. Don't play by the fences, even if the other kids are- that includes Mica and Lizzie. Go to story time. Drink plenty of water. And most importantly, take care of Houdini." I told her.

"If you're not back can I sleep in your bed?"

I smiled, leaning over and kissing her forehead. "Of course you can. So can Houdini." I stood up, sighing. "I gotta go now. Be good?"

She gave a sharp nod, serious look on her face. "Be good."

**DPOV**

I was by the truck, packing up supplies for the run with Zach, Beth's boyfriend. Guns, gas, water; heck even some food just incase. We needed to be ready for anything.

"Hey." I heard Zach speak. Turning around I saw him standing with Beth. "Was just gonna come find you."

She chuckled, leaning forward to kiss him. "What's up?"

"Well, the council pulled back everyone on the coal crew from going on the run. They're short handed right now. Figured I'd step up to help. Go with them. Just, you know, wanted to make sure that I saw you before."

She shrugged. "Okay."

"'Cause, you know, it's dangerous going out there."

She smiled. "I know." she said, kissing his cheek. With that she walked over.

"Okay. Are you gonna say goodbye?" he called after her.

"Nope."

I rolled my eyes. "It's like a damn romance novel."

**VPOV**

"It's like a damn romance novel."

I grinned, walking behind Daryl and jumping on his back. "What's like a romance novel?" I asked, kissing his neck. He just put the stuff in the back of the truck, shaking his head as I jumped off.

Zach laughed. "You two. You're a romance novel." he shook his head, walking away.

Daryl turned to me, leaning on the truck. He grabbed my waist, pulling me closer. "How's Aly?"

I shrugged. "She doesn't want us to go." I told him, my hands playing with the buttons on his shirt. "Nothing new there."

He nodded. "She ask if she can sleep in our bed, again?"

"Yep." I said, popping the 'p'.

"You say yes, again?"

"Sure did." I grinned.

Daryl adored Aly just like she adored him. She thought he was some kind of superhero. And as much as it seemed like she annoyed him, she didn't. In fact, he cared for her as much as I did. At night he always tucks her in, tells her a story, wishes her happy dreams. Whenever she has a nightmare, she calls for him, so he can kill the monsters with his crossbow.

"Houdini with her?"

"Of course." I nodded.

"She know the rules?"

I rolled my eyes. "Daryl I went over everything with her. She's fine."

"Just makin' sure."

I smiled, leaning forward to place a kiss on his lips. "One of the many reasons why I stick around."

"Hey."

We looked over by the car where Sasha, Tyreese and Glenn were getting ready. Bob had been the one to call out, stopping by the hood of the car.

"I'd like to start pulling my weight around here." he said, talking to Sasha.

"Bob, it's only been a week." she pointed out.

"That's a week worth of meals. A roof over my head. Let me earn my keep."

"You were out on your own when Daryl and Vickie found you." Sasha noted. At the mention of our names Daryl walked towards them, gesturing for me to follow.

Yes, when we found him. Since the fight with Woodbury, dad had put his gun down, making sure Carl did the same. He had talked to me, made sure I knew what I was doing, telling me he'd rather I stayed at the prison and helped him with the farming, things like that. But I couldn't do it. Not because it sounded boring, but because of the deal Daryl and I had made.

We agreed that he wouldn't try to stop me from doing what I wanted as long as I didn't do anything stupid, alone, or unarmed. I promised I would stay with him and not do things on my own, as long as he knew there would be times I'd have to do things without him.

Since then, when he goes on a run, I'd usually be there. Bringing people in, looking for supplies, hunting, we do it together.

Bob nodded at Sasha. "That's right."

"I just want to make sure you know how to play on a team."

"We ain't gonna do it unless it's easy." Daryl told them, walking past.

"You know, he was a medic in the army." Glenn spoke up, leaning on the hood of the car on the opposite side they were standing on.

Instead of following Daryl I stopped by Bob, nudging him with my elbow. "And anyway, the more the merrier right?" I grinned, turning so I faced Sasha. "Plus if we don't like him, we can always use him as bait." I shrugged, obviously joking.

"Hey." Bob stepped back from me. "I'll do anything to stop you from making me bait."

"Look at that, he's so willing to help." I smiled, looking at Sasha.

When she didn't say anything Bob shook his head. "You a hell of a tough sell, you know that?"

Finally she nodded. "Okay."

"Vic, you ready?" Daryl called from his bike.

I smiled at Bob before jogging over to Daryl, getting on the back of his bike. "Ready."

**CPOV**

Michonne rode through the gates before dad and I closed them, we had fixed the entrance up and built more on to it to help keep walkers out.

She rode up the road a little, dad and I running over to go see her once everything was secure.

"We're glad to see you." dad smiled.

"Glad to see you, too." she said back before turning to me. "Somebody hit the jackpot." she pulled out a pile of comic books.

"No way." I grinned. "Awesome! Thank you."

"I get to read them when you're done." she nodded, reaching into her bag. "And I found this." she pulled out a shaver, handing it to dad. He took it, looking at it curiously. "Your face is losing the war."

Dad nodded. "You're gonna stay a little while?"

"Just a little while." she answered.

I grabbed the reins of the horse, heading over to put it away. One of my jobs was to take care of her, brush and feed her.

"Here you go girl." I smiled, giving her some hay.

I looked over my shoulder, hearing the cars and Daryl's bike coming down the hill. Vickie sat behind Daryl, looking over at me. I waved, sighing. I didn't like her going out without me and dad, but I trusted Daryl and the others.

**VPOV**

"Well, well, look who's back." Daryl nodded to Michonne, stopping the bike.

"Didn't find him." she told us.

I looked down at the ground, nodding. "It's good you're back."

"Glad you're in one piece." Daryl nodded.

"I'm thinking of looking over near Macon." she went on. "It's worth a shot."

"No." I sighed. "It's not." a few days after the fight, Michonne had decided she would look for The Governor.

Back then I agreed wholeheartedly. But it had been months, with no sign of him. She left and was gone for days sometimes weeks on end. We'd worry. We had no clue if she might of found him, but he killed her. Or if she got bitten by a walker. And I was tired of worrying. It was time she stayed.

"Seventy miles of walkers. You might run into a few un-neighbourly types. Is it?" Daryl asked, agreeing with me.

"You heading off?" dad asked, looking at me.

I nodded. "Check out the Big Spot."

"The one I was talkin' about? Just seein'." Daryl shrugged.

"Yeah." dad looked around, away from us. "I gotta go out and check the snares. I don't want to loose whatever we catch to the walkers."

"I'll go." Michonne spoke up.

"You just got here." Carl called, heading over to us.

She turned to him, smiling. "And I'll be back." she moved over to the car, jumping in.

Daryl started the bike, dad leaning forward to hug me. "You be careful, all right?" he stepped back.

"Don' worry. I'll take care of her. Always do." Daryl nodded before we started for the gate.

**  
**

**Chapter 2**

**Spilt Wine**

**CPOV**

Patrick had become a friend of mine. I got over not liking the newcomers eventually, about the same time Patrick came along. Seeing as he's around the same age as me it's easy to do things and have fun together. But he always called me young sir as if I was in charge. He called my dad sir, too. But he called Vickie, Victoria, nothing special- though that's probably because he had a crush on her.

"You think I should talk to her?" he asked, talking about Vickie... again. It was annoying but I dealt with it.

"Do you want Daryl to beat you up? Turn you into walker meat?" I asked, looking over at him as we walked over to the fence.

The other kids were hanging around there a lot and dad liked me to make sure they weren't doing anything dangerous or stupid. So I was just going over to check on everything. Aly was the only one who didn't come down to the fence unless she was after an adult. Vickie and Daryl made sure she was always safe and following their rules.

"Nick, over here."

"This one's, Wayne."

"Hi, Nick."

"You're naming them?" I asked the kids as we reached them.

They all turned, Mica answering. "Well, one of them had a name tag, so we thought all of them should." she shrugged, smiling.

I sighed. "They had names when they were alive, they're dead now."

"No, they're not." all eyes turned to Lizzie. "They're just different."

"What the hell are you talking about? Okay..." I paused trying to calm a little before going on. "They don't don't think. They eat people. They  _kill_  people."

"People kill people. They still have names." she argued.

"Have you seen what happens? Have you seen someone die like that?"

"Yeah, I have." she answered as if it was no big deal.

I just shook my head. "They're not people, and they're not pets. Don't name them."

Lizzie turned to the others, ignoring me. "Supposed to go read. Come on." she told them before all of them left but Mica.

Mica turned to Patrick, smile on her face. "You coming to storytime tonight?"

"Uh..." he looked at me for a moment before answering. "Yeah."

"See you then." her smile grew as she walked off.

With the others gone Patrick turned back to me, knowing the look I gave him said, 'Are you serious?'. He just shrugged. "I go sometimes. I'm immature. You wouldn't dig it. It's for kids." I nodded, looking to the ground. "I'm gonna head up there, too. I'll catch you later, young sir." he said before walking off.

I just sighed as I watched him go, wondering when people stopped seeing me as a kid.  _Maybe I will go to storytime..._

**VPOV**

I got off Daryl's bike, gun at the ready. It was just a simple pistol, nothing big like the others. I didn't like big guns. I liked having a small one, more control.

Michonne walked over to me, giving me a nod. "Got Aly a doll while I was out. Found Daryl some smokes too."

I smiled. "They'll both love their gifts." I told her, following Daryl and Sasha. "You get me anything, or do I miss out?"

She grinned. "I might have found you some chocolate chips."

I jumped up excitedly. "No way, I've been dying for some." she just shook her head amused.

"Why chocolate chips?" Glenn asked, coming to stand next to me.

I shrugged. "I eat one at a time, enjoy the flavour, let it last. That's why."

Daryl and Bob stood by the fence surrounding the Big Spot. Daryl was telling Bob about it, the army turned walkers and everything.

"So they all just left?" Bob asked, disbelieving.

But Sasha shook her head. "Give a listen."

"You drew them out." Michonne spoke up as everyone listened to the music in the background.

"Sure did." I nodded, stepping up to the gab in the fence for us to walk in. "Put a boom box out there three days ago."

"Hooked it up to two car batteries." Glenn added.

"Walkers just walked out of here, no fuss, no worries." I shrugged, stepping through the fence.

"Lets make a sweep." Daryl told everyone as he followed me, both of us heading for the Big Spot entrance. "Make sure it's safe. Grab what you can. We'll come back tomorrow with more people."

We moved through the lot, heading for the store. Michonne and Zach behind us as the other's searched everything else.

Daryl sat on the edge by the window, knocking his elbow on the glass. I stood by him, tapping my foot against the ground, waiting until we could go inside. Zach leaned against the wall, close to Daryl and me.

Zach nodded, shifting. "Okay, I think I got it."

I shook my head grinning. "Here we go."

"Got what?" Michonne asked, as she stood to the side, closer to the entrance.

"I've been trying to guess what Daryl did before the turn." he shrugged, moving to sit next to Daryl.

"He's been trying to guess for, like, six weeks." Daryl commented.

"I'm pacing myself." Zach argued. "One shot a day."

"All right, shoot." Daryl shrugged, I could tell he found it amusing seeing what this kid thinks up.

I nodded, sitting on Daryl's other side. "Let's hear it then."

"Well, the way you are at the prison, yeah, you being on the council, you're able to track, you're helping people, but you're still being kind of, uh, surly." he said the last part cautiously.

I laughed. "Surly, Daryl."

"Big swing here." he went on. "Homicide cop."

Michonne and I just laughed.

"What's so funny?" Daryl asked, looking from Michonne to me.

"Nothing. It makes perfect sense." Michonne answered, biting back more laughs.

I nodded, trying to hold in my laughter. "I can see you there, eating doughnuts, drinking coffee, on stake outs. Doing the typical cop thing. So you."

"Actually, the man's right. Undercover." Daryl nodded, looking at me. I could tell he was joking, messing with Zach.

"Come on, really?" the kid asked, falling for it.

"Yep." Daryl nodded, turning to face him.

I smiled, resting my chin on Daryl's shoulder. "My big, brave, cop." I said sweetly.

Daryl just kept going. "I mean, I don't like to talk about it, 'cause it's a lot of heavy shit, you know?"

"Dude, come on, really?"

Both of us just looked at Zach, our look telling him Daryl was never a cop. I mean, Daryl was too bad ass to be a man of the law... then again so is my dad yet he  _was_  a cop.

"Okay." Zach sighed, catching on. "I'll just keep guessing, I guess."

"Yeah, you keep doing that." Daryl mumbled.

Walkers slammed against the window, snarling and grunting as they tried to get us, even though the glass was in the way.

I sighed, standing up as Daryl did the same. "Show time?"

"Let's do it." he nodded as we headed for the door, Zach and Michonne following.

 

...

 

We had done the sweep and cleared the shop, the place was safe for us to go through and grab supplies. So we moved off with trolleys, everything going in different directions.

"Hey." Daryl nodded for me to follow him.

We walked down the baby isle, knowing we needed to get stuff for Judith. Daryl hadn't grabbed a trolley, probably knowing I'd go with him, with my own.

Grabbing some formula I spoke up. "You know we should split up like the others. Cover more ground that way." I told him with a grin.

He shrugged, wrapping his arms around me and holding me in place. "Didn't want you walkin' off alone."

I laughed. "Really, 'cause I thought it might be because you want me. Hmm?" he leaned forward to kiss me. But before he could I shook my head. "We've got work to do Daryl. We'll finish this later, I promise."

Sighing, he let go, both of us getting back to work.

It had been awhile since we'd been intimate. With Aly, Houdini, the council, and just surviving, finding time to be alone, to be together the one way we wanted, was harder than you'd think. I could tell Daryl was frustrated. Heck  _I_  was frustrated. Sleeping in the same bed together, but not been able to touch each other the way we wanted because there were people everywhere that could hear us or walk past and see. I mean we didn't even have a real door, for crying out loud...

But I did the best I could to keep things as simple and happy as I could. I knew I didn't have to worry about him leaving me, but that didn't mean I was going to let things get boring.

I smiled. "Grandma's apple crumble."

Daryl turned to look at me, giving me that look he always did when I tried to start the game up. "Vic-"

"Oh, come on. Just play, Daryl."

"Play what?" Michonne asked as we left the isle only to walk into to one she was in.

"It's called, 'Things Before'. I made it up. You just name things you miss from before the turn." I shrugged.

She contemplated it before saying, "Microwave popcorn."

"Oh, that's a good one." I smiled. "How about-"

There was a loud crash, like glass breaking, before the sound of something heavy falling and someone yelling. We ran off to see what was going on, only to find Bob under shelves in the beer and wine section.

"You all right? You cut or somethin'?" Daryl asked, kneeling down to see Bob.

"No, man, but my foot is caught." Bob replied.

"All right." Daryl stood as Tyreese and Zach joined us. "He's just caught. Come on, help me up."

"What happened?" Glenn called.

"Everyone's all right." I yelled back. "Bob's just stuck."

"We're over in wine and beer." Zach added.

Daryl, Tyreese and Zach lifted the first shelf easy enough, ready to do the next one. Michonne helped, while I stayed back, crouched on the floor, watching Bob.

"I was movin' fast, man. I drove right into the drinks." Bob told me, trying to explain.

I nodded. "It's okay. We'll get you out of there. No harm done." but I spoke too soon.

There was a loud cracking sound from above; and then walkers started falling  _through_ the roof...

"Yeah, uh, we should probably go now." Glenn said as everyone looked up at the walker hanging from the ceiling by his intestines.

"Best idea I've heard all day." I agreed, bending down to the ground to grab Bob's hand. "You guys lift, I'll drag him out." but more walkers just started coming. "Hurry!"

Daryl tried to lift the shelves, Ty on the other side. But with the others now off, killing the walkers to keep us safe, the shelf just wasn't budging.

"Vic, stay with Bob. We gotta help the others." Daryl called before they moved on.

"Hey!" Bob yelled after them.

I just shook my head, staying on the ground by him. "It's okay. You'll be fine. We just gotta get rid of the walkers before we can-"

"Look out!" his eyes went wide.

I rolled over on to my back, pulling out my gun. A walker was standing over me, about to fall. I shot it in the head, and it crashed down, landing on top of me. I tried to push it off but it was too heavy. Suddenly I felt more weight, and the head of another walker came into view as it crawled over the first one, trying to get to me.

"Vickie!" Bob shouted. "Help, somebody!"

I couldn't lift my hand that held the gun in order to shoot the walker. I was stuck.

"Vic!"

Suddenly an arrow shot into the walker's head before it was pulled off. I saw Daryl as he grabbed the other one, tossing it aside, and then helped me up.

"You okay?"he asked.

I nodded. "Fine. Thanks." with that said he moved on again, as I went back to Bob.

Ty, Daryl and Zach came back, pulling up the shelves. "Come on. Time to go." Daryl groaned as he kept lifting.

I grabbed Bob's hand, helping him get out and up just as the roof started to collapse. From the looks of things a helicopter was about to fall on us, so we had to move fast.

"Let's go, now! Come on! Go!" Daryl yelled, grabbing Bob and helping him move along faster.

I was right behind them when I heard Zach scream. Turning as fast as I could I fell to my knee, stabbing the walker's hand that held Zach. It let go, allowing him to stumble away from the thing. As it came out from under the shelves I stabbed it in the head, killing it, before running off after the others.

Just as we got to the exit, the chopper fell through the roof, the place filling with more walkers and rubble.

 

...

 

"Thank you. You have no idea how much I owe you now." Zach said for the millionth time as we walked towards the cell block.

Daryl grunted. "Lucky she was there. No one else was close enough to get you." he nodded, kissing my shoulder before he headed off to our room.

I stopped in front of Zach, hand on his chest. "You owe me nothing. I did what I had do. Just don't say anything to Beth about it." I sighed. "It'll shake her up. Understand?"

He nodded, looking slightly intimidated; which wasn't what I was trying to do. But with an answer I headed off, following Daryl.

I found him sitting on our bed. Aly was fast asleep at the end curled up next to Houdini, who just wagged his tail but didn't get up so as not to disturb the little girl. Daryl took off his boots sitting there looking over at me.

I kicked off my shoes, walking over to sit on his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. "If we had lost him-"

"I know..." he sighed, resting his forehead against mine.

I closed my eyes. "If that had been you. I think I'd die."

He just pulled back, drawing my attention. "Don't worry, a'right? Don't do it to yourself." I nodded as he pressed his lips against mine softly. "I'm here. Ain't gonna get rid of me that easily."

But I just shook my head. "I love you, Daryl Dixon. There's no getting rid of you, ever."

**  
**

**Chapter 3**

**Bleeding Tears**

**VPOV**

I woke up, someone nudging my arm as I slept. Opening my eyes I found Aly standing next to the bed, looking at me with wide excited eyes. I sighed, turning to face her fully. "What's up, sweetie?"

"Can I go play with Mica and Lizzie? I want to show them the doll Michonne got me." she asked sweetly.

I smiled, nodding. "Just don't go anywhere near the fence. Okay?"

Leaning forward she kissed my cheek. "Thank you." she smiled, running off.

Houdini lifted his head off the bed as he watched her run out of the room. I looked over at him, as he turned to me, putting his head down and going back to sleep. He usually stuck close to me after I had been away.

I knew I should get up, so I did, moving to sit on the edge of the bed . I looked over my shoulder, seeing Daryl fast asleep.

Since the fight with the Governor, after we started turning the place into a real home, we had taken the bunk off the top and set up the bed so it was a double- two beds next to each other. There wasn't as much space in the room, but it made it easier to sleep- hence Daryl still being out cold.

I stood up, pulling a purple tank top over the thin white shirt I had worn to bed as pajamas. Slipping on some denium shorts and pulling on my boots- my outfit practical not fashionable of course. I ran my brush through my hair, instantly more relaxed, before pulling it all into a high plait.

Seeing as I was dressed I left the room, Houdini right behind me. There wasn't much I could do right now, most people were asleep still. But I just wanted to see Judith anyway. Daryl and I were always going out to find supplies, or hunting, or doing whatever we had to, so I didn't get to see my little sister very often.

I found Beth heading outside, probably going to go see if Carol had started the barbeque yet. I ran up to her, walking beside her as we headed out.

"Morning." I smiled.

"Hey." she smiled back. "You wanna hold her?" she asked, gesturing to Judy.

I nodded, taking my sister and holding her close to my chest. She grabbed on to the chain that always stayed around my neck- it had been mum's when she was alive, dad gave it to me a few months ago. With her wedding ring, a small heart pendant.

I smiled, rocking her as she fiddled with the necklace. "That'll be yours one day." I told her, voice loving and sweet, the kind you use when talking to a baby.

Carol was by the barbecue, it looked like she was just getting everything started.

Beth and I moved to sit at the table closest to the barbeque so we could talk to Carol as well. She smiled at us, but didn't say anything as she continued to work.

"How did the run go yesterday?" Beth asked, folding Judy's blanket.

I hesitated before shrugging. "Fine, I guess."

Carol disagreed though. "I heard you guys got into trouble. Something about walkers falling through the roof and a helicopter?"

I sighed. "Yeah, there was a few walkers. But we're all fine. Nothing happened." I looked to Carol knowing she knew the truth. I gave her a pointed look, hoping she realized I didn't want Beth to know what happened.

She nodded, obviously taking the hint. "Well, we're all glad you came back safe and sound."

"Hey!"

I looked up, seeing Daryl walking out of the prison, hair messy, shirt screwed up, he had obviously just woken up. I smiled. "Hey, yourself."

He came to stand in front of me, looking down at Judith. "Woke up, you and Aly were gone."

I nodded. "Yeah, Aly wanted to show the girls her new doll, and I wanted to see Judy." I told him as I looked down at my sister. "I miss her sometimes, you know?"

"You can help me take care of her today if you want?" Beth suggested.

I looked up at her, smiling. "Thanks, that would be-"

A loud thud interrupted me, followed by another. We all looked up towards D block just as Mica, Lizzie and Aly ran out.

"Take Judith." I told Beth, handing over my sister before Carol, Daryl and I ran to the girls, Glenn right behind us, coming from one of the watchtowers.

"Help! Help! Please, come quick!" Lizzie yelled.

"Vickie! Daryl!" Aly cried, running right towards me with her arms outstretched.

I fell to my knees, wrapping her in my arms. "What's wrong? What happened?" I asked her, as she cried. I held her to my chest, her arms wrapped around my neck desperately.

"There's walkers!" Mica told us, looking frantic.

"Walkers in D!" Glenn yelled to dad who was coming from the field.

Dad ran into the courtyard. "What about C?"

"It's clear." Sasha and Ty came running out of the C block- the original cell block we occupied. "We locked the gates to the tombs. Hershel's on guard."

"It's not a breach." Zach added as he came out of the cell.

"We followed the plan." Sasha finished.

The others ran off into the cell block as I turned to the girls. "Go into the C block, okay. Stay with Hershel." I told them, looking at Aly. "Keep Houdini with you." she nodded, still crying. I kissed her forehead before getting up and looking at Houdini who sat by Aly looking worried. "Guard her." I told him before running off to help the others.

"Go! Get out of here." I heard dad yell as I rounded the corner. He stood near the entrance, holding a gun. Looking to me he handed over the gun. "Hold that." he told me before moving on.

People were running all over the place, trying to escape walkers. But they weren't just walkers, they were our people... It was chaos. Absolute chaos.

I saw Daryl helping people get into a cell, Carol doing the same. Tyreese was with Karen, in a cell behind it's closed door. Glenn, and dad worked on killing the walkers while Sasha and Zach made sure everyone who got out wasn't bitten. So I got to work, smashing my foot into the head of a walker. I couldn't think of it being someone I knew. It was a threat and I needed to get rid of it.

A man yelled out as a walker grabbed him. Before it could bite I threw my knife, the blade stabbing into it's head. The walker fell to the ground allowing the man to run out of the cell block. I pulled my knife out moving on.

"Check all of them. Every cell." dad called as we started to make sure the downstairs cells were clear.

I pulled back the curtain of one cell before a walker jumped on me, it's teeth so close to my face. I yelled, falling to the ground.

"Vickie!" dad yelled, running up to me from the other end of the cell block. But before he made it Daryl stepped out of a cell and shot the walker with his cross bow.

He stepped over to me, helping me up and pulling me to him. "You a'right?" he asked as he pulled back checking my cheek.

I nodded, moving to rest my head on his chest. "Thank you." I breathed, panting.

"You okay?" dad asked, a few steps away. When I nodded he turned to Glenn. "We clear down here?"

"Clear." Glenn replied.

"We're safe?" dad asked Sasha.

She nodded walking out of a cell, out of breath. "Yeah. Yeah."

Dad nodded, heading up the stairs. Daryl pulled on my arm and I knew we had to follow. With my knife in hand I followed Daryl as he set up his cross bow and walked up the stairs.

"Go that way." Daryl nodded to the opposite way he was going. I turned and headed the way he told me without question, Glenn right behind me.

As I walked past a cell a walker came out, throwing itself on to Glenn.

I turned and shoved my knife into its skull without thinking, watching as it went limp and fell to the ground. Glenn leaned against the wall panting.

"You okay?" I asked, seeing the others watching us, their own weapons up to defend Glenn.

He nodded. "Thanks."

"Your welcome." I mumbled before leaning down and turning the walker over. I gasped, looking away just as the others joined us.

"It's Patrick." Daryl sighed, kneeling down and wrapping a comforting arm around me. "That's all of them." he shook his head.

Dad pulled the curtain away from the doorway, revealing a person lying on the floor with a bite on their neck. I felt Daryl nod before he stood and moved into the room. Dad grabbed my arm, pulling me up as he let the curtain fall, covering Daryl and the room.

I turned to look over the railing, trying to calm my breathing before I threw up or had a panic attack.

"You okay?" dad asked, hand on my back.

I looked over at where he stood beside me. "What happened in here?"

He just sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know."

Daryl walked out of the room and we both turned to him. Dad nodded and stepped away from me allowing Daryl to take his place. Dad continued to check the cells, Glenn going the other way. I could hear Bob, Hershel and Doctor S heading towards the cell. Carol had gone to get them, and Lizzie and Mica- though I'm not sure why she was getting the girls.

"Hey, Vic?" Daryl's arm wrapped around my waist. "You sure you're a'right?"

I turned to him and wrapping my arms around him, holding him to me. "There's so many..."

"I know." his hand held my head as he sighed. "We'll be okay."

The sound of a walker snarling caught our attention. We turned to look at dad where he stood in front of a closed cell. The sound of a walker shuffling in the room got louder before dad reached in and stabbed the thing in the head.

I stepped away from Daryl, grabbing his hand absentmindedly before walking over to dad. He opened the cell as Hershel, Bob and Dr.S. walked up the stairs. Dad knelt by the walker, Dr. S. joining him while Daryl and I stood inside the cell by the door, Hershel and Bob staying out.

"No bites. No wounds. I think he just died." dad said, looking at the walker.

"Horribly, too. Pleurisy aspiration." Doctor S deduced by looking at it.

"Chocked to death on his own blood." Hershel explained. "Caused those trails down his face."

"I've seen them before on a walker outside the fence." dad nodded.

I held on to Daryl's hand tighter. "I saw them on Patrick, too." I told them all, moving closer to Daryl instinctively.

"They're from the internal lung pressure building up." Doctor S. started. "Like if you shake a soda can and pop the top. Only imagine your eyes, ears, nose and throat are the top."

"It's a sickness from the walkers?" Bob asked.

"No, these things happened before they were around." Dr. S. answered, sighing. "Could be pneumococcal. Most likely an aggressive flu strain."

"Someone locked him in just in time." Hershel noted.

Daryl just shook his head. "No, man. Charlie used to sleepwalk. Locked himself in. Hell, he was just eatin' barbecue yesterday. How could somebody die in a day just from a cold?"

"I had a sick pig, it died quick." dad nodded. "Saw a sick boar in the woods."

"Pigs and birds. That's how these things spread in the past." Hershel commented, going on. "We need to do something about those hogs."

"Maybe we got lucky. Maybe these two cases are it." Doctor S shrugged.

"Haven't seen anybody be lucky in a long time." Bob spoke up, folding his arms. "Bugs like to run through close quarters. Doesn't get any closer than this."

"All of us in here, we've all been exposed." Hershel nodded, agreeing.

I looked up at Daryl. "Aly. I have to go check on her." I told him.

Daryl nodded. "Go, we'll be okay."

I didn't bother waiting to see if the others would stop me. I rushed out of the room, running down the stairs. I ran out of the prison as fast as I could, seeing Aly and Houdini sitting by the barbecue area. I ran over to her. Pulling her into my arms, I held her to me, checking her arms and neck for any bites or marks.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Are you feeling sick?" I asked her as I pulled her leggings up so I could check her legs. "Why didn't you go inside?"

She wrapped her arms around my neck, moving so I couldn't check her anymore, just hug her. "I'm scared, Vickie." she cried.

I nodded. "I know, sweetie. But it's okay. I'll make sure you're okay." I told her, as I rocked back and forth to calm her, just like I did with Judy. "We'll be okay."

**CPOV**

Maggie and I helped Michonne as we headed for the C block. She had hurt her ankle while fighting off walkers who had gotten into the front gate section.

I looked over to my right, seeing Vickie holding a crying Aly in her arms. She nodded at me, a sad look in her eyes. I let them be, knowing Vickie had to take care of Aly, and I had to make sure Michonne was okay.

Dad came out of view, coming from Cell block D. Moving away from Michonne and Maggie I couldn't help but run to him.

"Hey." he lifted his arm to tell me to stay away. "You might want to stay back. Carl..."

I ran into his arms, crying. "Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't see you come out."

"It's okay. I'm here. I'm fine." he pulled back. "Back away."

"I had to use one of the guns by the gate. I swear, I didn't want to." I told him as I backed up.

"I was coming back. I fell. They came out and helped me." Michonne explained.

Dad nodded. "Are you all right?"

Michonne nodded back as Maggie asked, "What happened in there?"

All eyes turned as we saw a girl walking out of cell block D, a body wrapped in a sheet in her arms. Others followed her, also carrying bodies.

"Patrick got sick last night." I looked over at dad as he talked. "Some kind of flu. It moves fast. We think he died and attack the cell block." he looked down at me.

I swayed a little, not believing he was dead. He was fine yesterday, normal. Just like that he's dead? How?

"Look, I know he was your friend, and I'm sorry." Dad leaned down to my level. "He was a good kid. We lost a lot of good people." he stood, talking to Maggie. "Glenn and your dad are okay, but they were in there. You shouldn't get too close to anyone that might have been exposed, at least for a little while."

I backed up, moving to Michonne again.

"Carl," dad called. I looked over at him. "All of you."

**DPOV**

I was walking to the library for a council meeting. As I opened the door, I found Vic sitting on a chair at the table, Aly in her arms and Houdini lying by her feet.

"And the princess kissed the ugly toad." Vic read a book to Aly. "Then a cloud of smoke appeared before the ugly toad turned into a handsome prince. The princess and prince then married and lived happily ever after. The end." she finished, closing the book.

"Good story?" I asked, walking over to them.

Aly sat up and stretched her arms out for me to lift her up. I grabbed her, taking her off Vic's lap, holding her on my side. She rested her head on my shoulder, arms holding me.

Vic stood. "She doesn't want to be alone. I know we have a meeting, but I can't leave her..."

I nodded. "She can stay."

Vic just shook her head. "I think I'm gonna go take her to our room. I can't sit here and talk about stuff, when I know she's scared. I need to make sure she's okay. Is that all right?"

I nodded, handing Aly back over to her. "I'll come see you after the meeting."

She leaned over and gave me a quick kiss. "See you then." she said, giving me a half smile before she left the library, Aly in her arms clinging to her shirt and Houdini right by her side.

_This meeting better go quick..._

**  
**

**Chapter 4**

**Separate**

**DPOV**

"Patrick was fine yesterday, and he died overnight. Two people died that quick?" Carol asked, addressing the council. "We'll have to separate everyone that's been exposed.

Carol, Sasha, Glenn, Hershel myself sat around a table in the library, a council meeting in progress. Vic was apart of the council, but she wanted to stay with Aly after what happened in cell block D earlier.

"That's everyone in that cell block." I noted. "Thats all of us. Maybe more."

"We know that this sickness can be lethal." Hershel started, drawing our attention to him. "We don't know how easily it spreads. Is anyone else showing symptoms that we know of?"

"We can't just wait and see. There's children." Carol said, and she was right. "It isn't just the illness. People die, they become a threat."

Hershel nodded. "We need a place for them to go. They can't stay in D. We can't risk going in there to clean it up."

"We can use cell block A." Carol suggested.

But Glenn shook his head. "Death row? I'm not sure that's much of an upgrade.

"It's clean. That's an upgrade." I shrugged before turning to Hershel. "Think that'll work for Dr S?"

"I'll help Caleb get it set up." Hershel answered.

The sound of a woman coughing outside of the library caught our attention. We all stood and moved to the door. Tyreese and Karen were out in the hall, heading towards C block.

"You okay?" Ty asked Karen who was coughing, his arm around her shoulder.

She nodded. "Mmm-hmm."

"You sure?" Carol asked as we walked out into the hall. "You don't sound so good."

They turned to look at us as Ty answered."We're just taking her back to my cell so she can rest."

"Tyreese, I don't think that's a good idea." Hershel sighed.

"Why?" Karen looked from us to Ty and back again. "What's going on now?"

We all looked at each other before Glenn told them. "We think it's a flu or something. That's how Patrick died."

Hershel stepped forward. "Judith is in that cell block. She's vulnerable. Anyone that may be sick or even exposed should stay away."

"It-it killed Patrick?" Karen stuttered.

"No, she's gonna be okay. Now that we know what Patrick died from, we can treat it, right?" Ty asked, obviously getting worked up.

"Don't panic." Hershel said, trying to settle the situation that seemed to be approaching. "We're going to figure this out. But we should keep you separated in the meantime. We'll have Caleb take a look at you. I'll see what we have in the way of medications." Hershel assured them, hoping to relax Karen.

She looked up at him. "David from the Decatur group, he's been coughing, too."

We all sighed, knowing this was going to be a handful. I just hoped Aly was going to be okay. She had been in there when it all started, and she was young enough to be vulnerable.

"Okay, I'll get him. There's some empty, clean cells in the tombs, right?" Glenn asked as he walked off.

"Yeah, we'll meet you there." Sasha answered just as he disappeared around the corner. She walked over to Ty and Karen. "Come on. Let's get you settled." the three of them walked off. Carol hid her face and I lifted my hand to cover mine as Karen walked past, just to be safe.

"Have to call another meeting later." Hershel started, standing next to me. "You think Victoria will join us?"

I shrugged. "She's worried about Aly. Girls like a daughter to her, you know?"

He nodded. "I understand, but she needs to know what's happening."

"A'right. I'll tell her. Then get to burying the dead ones." I nodded.

"You wear gloves and a mask." Hershel told me, his face telling me it was an order.

"Mmm-hmm." I answered before stepping around him. He walked off in the direction the others went leaving Carol and I alone. I looked at her seeing the worried look on her face. Stopping I asked, " You all right?"

She looked up. "I'm worried about Lizzie and Mica. They were around Patrick."

"We all were." I nodded, knowing how she felt. "Karen and David are gonna be separated till they feel better." I reassured her.

"You're right." she sighed. "Are you okay?"

I thought about is for a moment before nodding. "Mmm-hmm. Gotta be." It was true. I had to be okay. Vic and Aly depended on it.

**VPOV**

I was lying on my bed, Aly curled up next to me, her arm over my stomach. She had fallen asleep awhile ago, but I had just stayed awake, looking up at the roof, my fingers running through her hair. Houdini slept on my other side, his head resting on my leg, breathing heavily and twitching every now and then. I was worried about Aly. If it really was a disease, she had been in there when the walkers attacked. What if she got sick? What if she died? I couldn't kill her, there was no way.

My thoughts went to Sophia, the day she had walked out of the barn as a walker. I had shot her, even though she had practically been my sister. But then I had shut down. Dale died a few days later and I just spiralled down into a black hole. I never wanted to be like that again.

Aly, she was special. I would sacrifice myself before I let anything happen to her. She meant a lot to me, more than I could even explain.

The curtain to the room was pulled back as Daryl walked in. He nodded at me, moving to crouch by the bed.

I rolled over slightly, careful not to wake Aly- though Houdini lifted his head and looked around before going back to sleep.

"Hey." Daryl whispered as he offered his hand.

I took it, our fingers intertwining. "Hey, yourself. So how did it go?"

He sighed, looking down at the ground. "Karen and David are sick. Gonna keep them separated from everyone till they feel better." he answered. "Dr. S. is gonna set up medication and everything in Block A. Everyone who might be sick will go in there."

I shifted slightly. "Daryl, Aly might be sick..."

But he shook his head. "She'll be fine. She's not coughin' or nothin' is she?" I shook my head. "See, she'll be all right."

I nodded, closing my eyes with a sigh. "You have no idea how scared I was. When she came running out-"

"Hey, hey, hey." he kissed my hand, the one he held. "Don't. She's fine." I opened my eyes and he repeated himself. "She's fine." he let go of my hand and stood. "I'm gonna start burying the bodies. I'll see you soon, okay?"

I started to get up, ever so carefully so Aly would stay asleep. "I'll come and help you."

But he just shook his head. "Stay with her." he gestured to Alyssa. "If she wakes up and you aren't here, she'll be scared. She needs you."

I nodded, standing and moving close to him for a quick kiss. "Be careful out there. I don't want you catching this, okay?"

He kissed me again . "Ain't getting rid of me that easy, remember?" he replied before walking out.

**DPOV**

I grunted as I kept digging the graves. Sweat dripped off me. I was panting heavily, the bandana around my mouth and nose making breathing slightly difficult. I heard someone walking towards me, so I looked over my shoulder. It was Rick.

"Glad you were in there." I told him, still digging.

"Wasn't much use without my gun." he argued.

"No, you were." I stopped, pulled down my mask and shook my head. "All this time you've been takin' off, you earned it. We wouldn't be here without you."

He sighed, picking up a shovel. "Ah. It was all of us."

"No, it was you first." I turned to him. "You gonna help us figure this out?"

He shrugged, shaking his head. "I screwed up too many times. Those calls you got to make, I start down that road. I almost lost my boy, who he was. I lost Vickie for a while. Would have lost her again if it wasn't for you."

I just shook my head. "Vic's a good girl. Didn't need me for nothin'. You and Lori, you brought her up to be the person she is. Got nothin' to do with me."

He nodded. "Well, whatever this place needs, I'm here for it."

I started to dig again. "Like I said, you earned it. But for what it's worth, you see mistakes. I see when the shit hits, you're standing there with a shovel." I told him before getting out of the hole.

"Rick! Daryl!" Maggie yelled, gesturing for us to come.

I looked over at the fence seeing a group a walkers pushing against it. It was going to give any moment now. We needed to stop them before things got worse.

"Oh, shit!" Rick groaned, running off.

I threw the shovel and grabbed my cross bow before I ran off, following Rick.

**VPOV**

"Vickie?" Aly sighed, rubbing her eyes as she woke up.

I smiled, rolling over to look at her. "Hey, sweety. How'd you sleep?"

She opened her eyes, looking at me as she sat up. "There were monsters. The walkers were chasing me. But you, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie and Rick saved me. Then I played with Carl, Bethy and Baby Judy." she shrugged.

I sat up too, reaching over to grab my brush as she turned around so I could brush her hair. We did this a lot. It helped us relax.

"Well, the walkers aren't going to get you. Don't worry." I told her, letting the brush slide through her soft, mousey blonde hair.

She nodded, patting Houdini- who was now awake. "I know. 'Cause you and Daryl keep me safe."

"We all do." I told her, smiling.

"Where is Daryl?"

"He's working outside." I answered. "He has to do somethings for Hershel and the other council members."

"Why are you not working?"

I shrugged. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Turning around, which made me stop brushing her hair, Aly looked at me. "But you're important. You have to work."

I nodded. "That's true. But that can all wait until I know you're feeling better."

"I feel better." she replied almost instantly.

I chuckled. "Really?"

She just nodded enthusiastically. "I can stay in here with Dini and play with my dolly."

I sighed, thinking about it for a moment before I nodded. "Okay. But if you need me I'll be out in the fields with Daryl, okay? Just come and get us." she nodded again. "And you have to stay away from Baby Judy, okay?"

"Why?"

"'Cause she's a baby and she might get sick. You were near the walkers and she wasn't." I told her, hoping she'd understand.

"But I'm not sick."

I sighed, nodding my head. "Yeah I know, sweety." I tucked her hair behind her ear. "But even if you're not sick, Judy might get it. So you have to stay away from her. Okay?"

"Okay." she nodded.

I stood up and moved to the curtain, looking back at her one more time. She was patting Houdini, and making her doll pat him too. She was fine. I could relax, though I knew it wasn't going to be that easy. But I left anyway, heading towards the field.

 

...

 

I ran down to the fence, seeing Sasha Tyreese, dad, Glenn, Maggie, Zack and Daryl down there trying to fight off the walkers from taking the fence down. It was leaning over enough that it wouldn't take much before the walkers could just start climbing over.

I grabbed one of the sharpened pipes we used to kill the walkers. Just as I killed my first one I heard Sasha from the other end of the group of walkers.

"Are you seeing this?" she asked us, stopping us from killing the walkers. Everyone walked over to see what she was talking about. I looked down to the ground where I stood, seeing rats. "Is someone feeding these things?" Sasha asked and I guessed there were rats there too.

I shoved the pipe into a walker the was really pushing against the fence. With me back to work the others did the same.

"Heads up!" Daryl called as the fence started to fall down slightly, a walker climbing it slowly.

"This part of the fence, now!" Sasha yelled, all of us working on the walkers.

I looked up, seeing more walkers trying to climb, and the fence falling some more. "Hey! Get back! Move!" I told them as I moved until my back was against the other fence.

The others moved as well as we looked up at the fence.

"Get on it! It's gonna give!" dad yelled before all of us pushed against the fence hoping it would help. But it did nothing. "It's gonna give!"

"Push!" Maggie yelled.

I groaned as I kept pressing myself against the fence, trying to stay clear of the walkers at the same time. I hissed in pain as a part of the fence that was sticking out a little scratched my shoulder. But I kept going.

"Everybody back! Come on, back, now!" Daryl called grabbing my arm as he stepped away.

"The fence keeps bending in like that, those walkers are coming over it." Sasha noted, all of us as worried and alarmed as she sounded.

While the others paced and worried about how to fix the fence, Daryl turned to me, seeing blood. "Did they scratch you?" he asked, his hands moving to push the sleeve of my shirt from my shoulder so he could get a better look.

I shook my head. "I'm fine. It was just the fence."

"You sure?" he asked. "There was no walker blood on it or anything?"

I sighed, turning to face him. "Daryl I'm fine. We've got bigger things to worry about."

"Daryl, get the truck." I looked over at dad as he spoke. "I know what to do."

**RPOV**

I sat in the trailer that was connected to one of the cars. Daryl drove it out of the prison gates, moving towards the walkers. I held on to the box, hearing the piglets squeal and move around, obviously not use to the movement.

"Ready?" Daryl asked over his shoulder, the car having no roof or back the perfect choice so we could talk to each other.

"Turn the car around, face the other way." I told him, and he did exactly that before stopping the car. I grabbed the first piglet, some of the walkers already heading towards me.

"Let's go!" Daryl called.

The pig squealed and struggled in my arms as I knelt, grabbing my knife. Without thinking about it, I sliced the piglet across it's side, blood sprayed all over it. Quickly, I let it go on to the ground, the walkers grabbing at it.

"Go on!" I yelled at Daryl before they could get me. With more walkers coming I told Daryl to stop. "All right! Hold up!"

He stopped the car and I stood, leaning into the box and grabbing another pig. This one squealed as well, unsurprisingly. I knelt again, cutting it along the same spot I had done with the other. Dropping it and turning to Daryl I told him to go on.

"All right, go. Fast!"

After a little bit he stopped again and I repeated the process. But this time as I grabbed the piglet I looked into it's eyes and sighed before getting back to work. Cutting into this one, it's blood sprayed over my face. I put it down for the walkers, Daryl driving off once more.

**  
**

**Chapter 5**

**Vulnerability and Sickness**

**VPOV**

I stood outside in a secluded place, next to Carol with Daryl on my other side. Tyreese and dad were with us. We all looked down at the bodies, charred and smoking. Someone had killed Karen and David...

"You found them like this?" dad asked Tyreese. Ty had found the bodies and come straight to us.

Ty turned to dad. "I came to see Karen, and I saw the blood on the floor." his voice was so low and quiet. "Then I smelled them" he paused. "Somebody dragged them out here and set them on fire!" he yelled, gesturing with his hands. "They killed them and sat the on fire!" we were all silent. He turned to dad walking up to him with a vengeful look in his eyes. Daryl moved quickly to stand behind Ty, ready if he did anything. "You're a cop." Ty spoke to dad. "You find out who did this and you bring them to me. You understand?" dad nodded. "You bring them to me!"

"Hey, man." Daryl stepped up to Ty, tapping his arm. "We'll find out who-"

Ty pushed him away. "I need to say it again?"

Dad shook his head. "No. I know what you're feeling. I've been there. You saw me there. It's dangerous."

"Karen didn't deserve this! David didn't deserve it!" Ty gestured to the bodies. "Nobody does!"

Daryl moved to Ty again, grabbing his arm. "All right, man, let's bring this-"

Ty spun around, pushing Daryl against the gate. "Man. I ain't going nowhere till I find out who did this!"

"Daryl!" I moved to help him, Carol and dad right there with me.

Before we could reach Ty, Daryl lifted his hands up, gesturing for us to stop. Ty breathed heavily in Daryl's face, holding on to his shirt. My heart was beating hard and fast, worried about Daryl's safety.

"We're on the same side, man." he told Ty, hoping it would calm him.

"Hey, look," dad started, "I know what you're going through. We've all lost someone. We know what you're going through right now, but you gotta calm down." he placed a hand on Ty's back.

Tyreese spun around, letting go of Daryl and pushing my dad away. "You need to step the hell back!"

"No." Carol tried to stop them, but Ty just ignored her.

"She wouldn't want you being like this." dad told Ty, and the moment he spoke those words I knew he shouldn't have.

Ty swung his fist, hitting dad right across his face. Dad fell, Ty right on top of him.

"Dad!" I went to move forward but Daryl grabbed me, standing in front of me protectively.

"Stop!" Carol yelled, moving towards them. "Stop! Stop!"

Grunting, Ty slammed his fist into dad's face again. With that Daryl jumped on Ty's back, trying to hold his arms down.

"That's enough." Daryl grunted.

Dad stood up, spitting blood on the ground. He looked to Ty before punching him in the face, sending him to the ground. Daryl stepped back as dad moved to Ty kicking him in the ribs. Ty rolled on to his back and dad moved over him, leaning over and punching him the face over ad over.

"Dad! Stop!" I cried as I stepped forward, about to grab dad, but Daryl moved between us.

"Rick!" he grabbed dad and started pulling him off. "Stop! No!"

"Let go of me! Let go of me!" dad yelled, elbowing Daryl in the nose.

Blood started pouring out of Daryl's nose. He stepped back and I was right there with him, making sure he was okay. Dad looked up seeing what he had done to Daryl and Ty. Ty just stayed on the ground, crying, not because of the pain but because of Karen. Carol was in complete shock, staring at my dad and what he had done.

I just shook my head. "What the hell just happened!?" dad went to step closer to me but I shook my head, grabbing Daryl's arm and walking away. "Who are you?" I asked my father before Daryl and I disappeared into the tombs.

**DPOV**

I sat on our bed as Vic stood in front of me, cleaning up my nose. I looked up at her, staying still as she dabbed over the blood. Aly was in her own room; Vic had sent her out before I walked in. We didn't want her seeing me like this. Especially when we had no idea how we were supposed to explain what happened.

"What was he thinking?" Vic mumbled to herself. "He's crazy."

I sighed. "Vic, he's your dad."

But she just shook her head. "No. That was not my dad. That was the crazy guy that showed up after mum died. It was like everything he's been trying to keep bottled up and controlled just exploded out of him. And  _Tyreese_! What the hell? You did nothing, and neither did my dad. Yet he went all crazy."

"He lost Karen." I reminded her.

"Yeah I know. But he didn't have to start bashing up people."

I shrugged. "If I lost you-"

"You did lose me Daryl." she stopped cleaning my nose, looking down at me. "I was gone for eight months and even when you found me, I couldn't remember anyone. You lost me. You may not have known if I was dead or not, but you knew there was practically no chance of finding me."

I nodded, knowing what she meant. "Yeah, I lost you. And I was a mess. I didn't talk to anyone, I kept my distance. If it wasn't for the promise I made you I would have left them all. I wouldn't have cared if they survived or not. But your mum was killed by a walker, and your dad knew for sure she was dead. And Karen was murdered, Ty saw her body. If either of them had been you I would be like them."

"No you-"

"Vic." I stopped her. "I would go out and kill as many walkers as I could find. I wouldn't eat or sleep. I'd just hunt walkers and kill 'em until one killed me or I starved to death. Anyone who might get in my way, I'd beat them into the ground, till they were dead. You'd be gone, and there'd be nothing left for me."

She leaned forward, her lips brushing mine softly. "It scares me, thinking about you like that." When she pulled back she rested her forehead on mine. "But I've got to be the luckiest girl alive." she kissed me again.

I pressed my lips against her's again, needing to feel her. After everything, I just needed this. Her body. The urges that vibrated through me every moment, that I kept at bay, were getting harder to control. I grabbed her waist pulling her forward until she straddled my hips. Her hands grasped my arms as I started moving my lips to her jaw, down to her neck and shoulder.

"Daryl, we can't." she breathed, trying to hold in her moans. "People will hear."

"Don't care." I grunted, lifting my head and looking at her. Her eyes were full of heat and desire, mirroring mine. "Ain't gonna let that stop me."

She grinned as I moved my lips back to her neck, nibbling and sucking. She moaned quietly, her hips moving against mine ever so slightly. She paused, feeling the growing bulge in my pants. I just kept working on her skin, leaving a mark where I knew she could hide it, but she'd know it was there.

"Vickie?" Aly's little voice called from outside the room.

Vic was off me in a heartbeat, adjusting herself before moving to the curtain. I moved so the lump in my pants couldn't be seen. Nodding at Vic she opened the curtain. Aly stood there, doll in one hand and Houdini's collar in the other, the dog sitting by her feet.

"Hey, sweety." Vic crouched by her. "What's up?"

Aly shrugged. "Can you play with me? Please?"

Vic nodded, not even thinking about it. She'd do anything for that girl. "Sure. We can play. Why don't we go outside and play catch with Houdini?" Aly nodded happily, the dog's tail wagging. "Okay, well you get the ball and I'll meet you out there." Aly ran off excitedly.

Vic turned to me, walking over to straddle my legs again. I groaned as she leaned forward and kissed me gently, pressing against me in all the right places which made it agonizingly good.

Grinning, she puled back. "You have a council meeting soon." she reminded me. "Your nose isn't broken, you'll be fine. I'll see you later." she told me, getting off.

I grabbed her hand before she could leave, and pulled her down until she was on top of me, the both of us lying down.

"Guard tower. Tonight." I told her.

She laughed, nodding her head. "Deal."

**VPOV**

I threw the ball and watched as Aly tried to beat Houdini to it. But of course the dog won, he always did. Aly laughed and ran back to me, Houdini staying by her side now that the ball was in his mouth.

"Again, again!" she jumped up and down.

We had been out her for about an hour. She was just full of so much energy, the both of them could do this all day long if I kept throwing the ball. I had been distracted. From where we were playing on the field I could still see the courtyard. People were heading towards A block, more and more getting sick. When I saw Sasha and Zach I knew things were getting bad. Most had just been from cell block D, that had survived. But now it was spreading.

I looked to Aly and saw how energetic and happy she was. I remember what Daryl said, that she'd be fine. But Sasha and Zach had been fine too. They had been helping with the fence just yesterday...

"How are you feeling? Maybe we should go inside and have a break?" I suggested.

But Aly shook her head. "I want to play."

"I know, sweety. I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine." she smiled, nothing seeming different about her. "Can we play now?"

Nodding I threw the ball, not too far. Both of them ran off, Houdini barking happily as Aly laughed and tried to beat him. I sighed.  _Maybe I'm worrying too much..._

**DPOV**

"It's spread." Hershel addressed the council. Sasha was with us, she had caught the flu, so we had to go on without her. But Michonne had joined, staying clear from the rest of us who had been exposed though. "Everyone who survived the attack in cell block D. Sasha, Caleb, Zach, and now others."

"Jesus." I mumbled, the numbers just growing.

"So what do we do?" Carol asked Hershel. He was the only one with some kind of medical experience on the council, we hoped he had an answer.

"First things first. Cell block A is isolation. We keep the sick people there like we tried with Karen and David." Hershel started.

I shrugged. "What the hell we gonna do about that?"

"I'll ask Rick to look into it." Carol nodded. "Try to make a timeline, who's where when. But what are we gonna do to stop this?"

Hershel shook his head. "There is no stopping it. You get it, you have to go through it."

"But it just kills you?" Michonne spoke up.

Hershel turned to her. "The illness doesn't , the symptoms do." talking to the rest of us he said, "We need antibiotics."

"We've been through every pharmacy nearby, and then some." I told him, not knowing how we were supposed to get the meds.

"That veterinary college at West Peachtree Tech, that's one place people may not have thought to raid for medication." Hershel suggested, knowing what we'd need. "The drugs for animals there are the same we need."

"That's 50 miles. Too big a risk before. Ain't now." I stood up, grabbing my cross bow. "I'm gonna take a group out. Best not waste any more time."

"I'm in." Michonne stepped forward.

But Hershel turned to her, hoping to change her mind. "You haven't been exposed. Daryl has. You get in a car with him-"

She cut him off, shrugging. "He's already given me fleas."

Hershel chuckled, letting it go. Standing he spoke. "I can lead the way. I know where everything's kept."

I stopped, looking at the others before turning to him. Shifting slightly, I told him, "When we're out there, it's always the same. Sooner or later, we run." I looked down at his leg. He may not be on crutches any more, a fake leg replacing his missing one. But he still wasn't a fast mover...

"I can draw you a map." he shrugged, knowing where I was getting at. I nodded, turning to leave until he spoke up again. "There are other precautions I feel we should take."

"Like what?" Carol asked.

Hershel turned to her. "There's no telling how long it'll be before Daryl and his group return. Wouldn't it make sense for us to separate the most vulnerable? We can use the administration building, separate office, separate room."

"Who is the most vulnerable?" Glenn spoke up.

"The very young." Hershel answered.

Hesitating, Glenn went on. "What about the old?"

**VPOV**

"But I don't wanna go." Aly whined.

Daryl had come back from the council meeting, informing me that the kids were going to be separated from everyone else, just in case. They were more vulnerable, so it made sense. But Aly just did not want to go.

I sighed, stuffing some of her things in a bag. "Alyssa." I used her full name so she knew this was serious. "You have to go. It's for your safety. You have to go with the other kids. Houdini will be with you. You'll have your favourite toys." I showed her the pink dog she had before we met and the deer Daryl had brought back for her. "You'll be fine, I promise. Carl will make sure you're okay."

"But what about you? Can't you come with me?"

Daryl who had been standing in the door way patiently, shook his head. "We got jobs to do. Gonna make everyone feel better so the kids can come back."

I smiled up at him. I loved how he was honest, but made it sound as if everything was dependent on us. Aly understood better if we were the hero's.

With a sigh, kicking at the ground with the toe of her shoe, she nodded. "O-kay."

Her bag now packed, I grinned, lifting her up in my arms and kissing her cheek. "That's my girl." she giggled in my arms.

I grabbed her bag, ready to go. Turning back to the door, to Daryl, I could see a look in his eyes. I had seen it a few times before, only whenever I was with Aly or Judith, or one of the other little ones.

"What?" I blushed as he continued to stare, arms folded across his chest.

He shrugged, pushing off the wall. "Nothin'." he answered before stepping out, letting us go through.

 

...

 

Once I had dropped Aly off with Houdini, I made my way back outside to where Daryl and Michonne were busy prepping the car. As I neared the car, I saw Michonne heading for one of the towers, probably getting some oil for the motor or something.

"Hey." I called out to Daryl, my voice deflated and down.

He stood up from leaning in the hood of the car, turning to me with a frown. "What's wrong?"

I just shrugged, stopping next to him and leaning against the car. "I don't think I'm gonna go. I don't feel right, leaving Aly here. Not now, when I know she can still get sick..."

He nodded understandingly. "I get it." he leaned over kissing my forehead.

"You want me to ask around, find someone to replace me? You've got Michonne and Bob going, don't you?"

"Yeah. Thinkin' 'bout asking Tyresse, too."

I didn't think that was a good idea, after him losing Karen so recently. I mean, I get where Daryl was coming from. He needed numbers, and Ty could be useful seeing as he's a tough guy who can follow right now, I think he's more tough than following.

"You sure that's a good idea?"

He shrugged, stepping away from the car and in front of me. "'Bout to find out. You know where he is?"

Nodding, I pointed to the A block. "Sasha." was all I had to say.

**DPOV**

I turned the corner in the prison, coming to the entrance of cell block A. Tyresse stood by the door, looking in, keeping watch on everyone inside. Since Karen and David, and now that Sasha was inside, I knew he was taking everything personally. He didn't trust anyone.

"What you doing?"

At the sound of my voice he turned, my gaze landing on his swollen eye from Rick this morning. "Somebody needs to stand watch." he answered, confirming my suspicions.

I gave a short nod, stepping closer. "Man, I want to find them, too. Put a bolt in them for what they did." despite my efforts, he just turned back around to look into the cell where the number of sick people seemed to be growing and growing by the minute. So I went on, getting to the point. "These people are cut off. Ain't no way anyone's getting in and out without a whole bunch of people seeing them."

This at least go his attention as he turned back to more again. "Sasha's in there. I ain't going nowhere."

Stepping closer just that little bit more, I explained, "Standing guard ain't gonna do no good unless we come back with the meds." yet it was all for nothing. His back was once again facing me as he set his sights and mind on the one task. So I nodded, giving up. "All right. We're gassing up by the front gate in case you change your mind." I told him before walking back out.

I knew we needed another man. Michonne and I were capable of taking care of the walkers, sure. But Bob was still pretty rusty, we basically needed him just so he could help us sort out the meds. Ty was our best bet on getting out of there as a whole group. If Vic was coming, it would be fine. But she wasn't, so we needed the extra muscle.

I just hoped he came to his senses before it was too late.

**  
**

**Chapter 6**

**Voices on the Radio**

**CPOV**

Okay, so I was breaking the rules. Dad had told me to keep an eye on everyone, to walk the halls and make sure nothing happened. I wasn't really happy about that, but I did what I was told. That was until Aly had walked out of her office, sneaking around to get outside. Apparently Houdini needed to go to the bathroom, so she was going to take him.

Aly, unlike most of the other kids, didn't actually annoy me. She knew how to talk to people, even if the conversation was all over the place, and I mean if Daryl liked her than she mustn't be bad, right?

So I was now walking the halls... with Aly and Houdini.

I knew I should have kept my distance, she had been around the outbreak and could possibly make me sick. But I felt bad leaving her alone in the office and I knew it was probably worrying Vickie too. So I didn't see the harm...

"Carl." she tapped my shoulder.

I turned to look at her seeing her pointing off down the hall. Following her finger, my eyes landed on Hershel, who seemed to be trying to get out as well.  _Why was everyone trying to escape?_

"Where are you going?"

He froze, caught in the act, as he turned to look at us. "I'm down here away from y'all, 'cause you kids are supposed to stay away from me." he gave a pointed look.

Hand resting by my gun in it's holster absentmindedly, I moved towards him, Aly and Houdini close behind. "We've been walking the hall. My dad told me to look out for everyone."

Lifting his hand he gestured for me to stop. "Well, you should keep your distance. And Aly should get back to her room." he looked to the little girl.

"Me and Dini are helping, Carl..." she argued.

"Aly, what would Vickie and Daryl say if they found out you weren't in your room?"

She puffed, looking to the ground with sad eyes. "They'd be mad I didn't listen."

"Exactly. Now go on, before someone else comes along."

She nodded, still looking to the ground as she walked back towards the office she was supposed to be in. I watched her until she was out of sight, sure she was doing as she was told. Then, looking back to Hershel, I started questioning him.

"You're walking towards the exit." I noted, suspicious as to why he was leaving.

"I need to go out there." he answered simply.

Tilting my head in confusing I went on. "To the cell blocks?"

"To the woods."

I nodded, getting it a bit more now. "So you're sneaking out?" I was both amused and unamused. I mean, it was funny that he was sneaking out sure. But you'd think Hershel would be the last person you'd find, roaming the halls, trying to escape without getting caught.

"Don't need anyone worrying about me and I damn sure don't want someone telling me I can't go." he gave me a look, testing me, as if to dare me.

"I can't just let you go out into the woods by yourself." I noted.

"Let me?"

"I can't stop you. But I have to tell me dad."

"Well, go ahead." he shrugged, turning for the door. "I'll be out there by the time you find him."

Sighing, I walked forward. "Hershel." he stopped, turning back to look at me again. "If you have to go, then I have to come with you."

"Carl-"

I interrupted before he could go on to try and stop me. "I  _have_  to."

With one last look, knowing that the both of us were going and neither one could change that, we left the building, heading for the woods.

**VPOV**

I leaned against the wall as Michonne and Daryl continued to get ready. I wasn't feeling right. Leaving Aly in the office, not being able to be with her. Daryl heading off without me. It was leaving a sick feeling in my stomach. Like everything was churning. The heat wasn't helping as sweat began to form on my already aching and dizzy head.

"Everything look all right?" Bob asked as he came to join the rest of us.

"Yeah. Zach keeps this thing running pretty good." Daryl nodded as he came to stand by Bob, looking at Zach's car.

Bob looked at the car "This is Zach's car?"

"Yep." I answered before Daryl got the chance. "Fastest one we have. You'll get back quicker that way, theoretically."

Bob just nodded, still looking at the car. "You really want me coming along?"

Daryl started patting his pockets, looking for something. Sighing I moved forward, pulling the slip of paper out of his back pocket and handing it to him. He nodded his thanks before turning back to Bob.

"What's that word?" he pointed to the paper.

"Zanamivir." Bob answered effortlessly.

"Yup, we need you." Daryl nodded walking off, shoving the paper back into his pocket.

I frowned at Bob, seeing his concerned face. "Everything's going to be fine here. Just get the meds and come back in one piece. It'll be easy." I tried to lighten the mood.

"Easier said than done." he mumbled before walking off.

I sighed, rubbing my forehead as I leaned against the car. The stress of everything was getting to me, and I hated it. I was supposed to be strong, yet everything was just pushing me down.

Ty walked past me having just spoken to Daryl. I guessed he had changed his mind and was now going with them. That was good, I guess. At least he was thinking clearly enough to realize this was an important job.

"You a'right?" Daryl's hand rested on the small of my back as he leaned forward to look me in the eyes where I still leaned against the car.

I nodded slowly. "Stress and everything. I'll be fine." I smiled, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek softly, his stubble tickling my lips. "You just worry about getting back, okay?"

He seemed unconvinced, but simply nodded his head before kissing my lips quickly. Stepping back, he turned to the others, getting back to work.

I could see they were going to be busy for a little while longer, so I simply opened the car door and slipped inside, closing my eyes as I waited for them to finish so I could say my goodbyes.

**RPOV**

I crouched down on the ground by the spot where Karen and David had been set a light. The scorched marks on the ground more distinct against the worn and faded grey of the old cement ground.

I lifted a piece of metal off the ground which I presumed was from Karen's bra. Dropping it to the ground I looked around the small area trying to see if there was anything that would help me figure out who killed two of our own.

Standing I followed the blood stains on the ground from where the bodies were dragged. Heading towards the door, I looked at the ground carefully for anything that might help me figure this all out.

Coming to a stop before heading back inside, I looked away from the marks, my eyes landing on the door in front of me. I had looked away to gather my thoughts, to think everything over just incase there was something I was missing. Yet, coinsidently, as my eyes landed on the door in front of me, I found what I had been looking for.

Crouching down once again, I set my eyes on the one mark that one had my full attention. Lifting my hand towards the bloody handprint on the door. It was smaller than mine, a woman's hand. Pulling back I sighed, having a pretty good idea at who might have killed David and Karen...

**VPOV**

"Vic." I felt someone shaking me gently, waking me from the light sleep I had fallen into.

Opening my eyes, I came face to face with Daryl as he knelt on the ground by the car next to where I sat on the driver's seat. Stretching slightly, I moved to sit up, smiling down at him.

"We're headin' off now." he didn't smile back, obviously conflicted with the fact he had to leave me while he went to go get meds to help everyone that was sick.

I nodded, leaning forward to kiss him softly. "Everything will be fine. I promise."

He stood, offering me his hand to help me get out of the car. Grunting he shook his head. "What did I say about making promises you can't keep?"

Rolling my eyes, I stepped to the side so he could get in the car as the others finished getting ready, piling in. "Shut up. Be safe. Come back. And I love you."

"I love you too." I kissed my cheek before getting in the car.

"I'll take care of him." Michonne said from the other side of the car as she got ready to get in the passenger side.

I nodded. "Thanks." stepping back I watched as they all got in, Daryl turning the car on. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." I offered a friendly smile. Ty, who had been staring off absentmindedly, turned to me. But before he could say anything I just nodded. "I'll keep an eye on Sasha."

With that, Daryl nodded, driving off.

**DPOV**

We were driving along the road in silence. Ty and Bob in the back. Michonne sat next to me, watching the road as I drove along. We kept an eye out for people, supplies or walkers that might get in our way.

My mind wandered to Vic, how she had looked sick with stress, how I had left her there. I knew she had wanted to stay for Aly, but there was always that voice at the back of my mind that told me Vic should always stay by my side, that I should always be with her.

Over the last few months, since Woodbury and Aly, we'd come to terms with a lot of things. I knew it had been unfair when RIck and I tried to tell Vic what to do. She was old enough and very capable to take care of herself.

But no matter what I did or what happened, no matter how much I knew she could do things on her own, I hated the thought of her in possible danger. Though, mind you it had always been like that.

From the moment I had helped back at the camp outside of Atlanta, I just had that nagging feeling that it was my duty to keep her safe. That only got worse as time went by and I grew to love her. Now, there was nothing I wanted more than to protect her.

It's one of the reasons why I had been on Michonne's side when she told us she'd look for the Governor, to finish it once and for all. After everything that had happened, what he'd done to Vic, I wanted him gone for good. Yet as more and more time went by, and nothing happened, I came to terms with the fact that we'd probably never see him again, never get the chance to end him.

Turning to Michonne now, I wanted her to know I was glad she was back and that I didn't want her to go. She was family, a friend, and having her gone for so long affected everything and everyone.

"Hey, I know you weren't running off." I started. "The thing it, that trail went cold. You know that, right?" when she didn't answer, I went on. "If it was any different, I'd be right out there with you. Vic too."

She finally looked to me, telling me she knew. But with the responsibilities and everything at the prison, we couldn't spare too many people. Which is why Vic and I had stayed- that and because of Aly.

Looking to the radio, I turned it on, tuning it in hopes of finding something. Though no surprise, there was just static.

"Would you hand me one of them CDs right there?" I asked Michonne as she opened the glove department.

" _Find Sanctuary..._ "

We all stopped as a voice on the radio caught our attention.

"Was that a voice?" Bob asked, seeming as shocked and surprised as me.

"Shh." I gestured, trying to here.

" _...determined to survive... keep alive."_

I looked to Michonne as she looked to me, eyes wide. Was there really others out there? Was someone trying to reach survivors through the radio?

I looked to the road, gasping at the sight of a walker right in front of us, swerving, I still hit it. The tires screeched as I tried to avoid a few more walkers that were on the road, hitting a couple of them. That's when I slammed on the brakes, as we all saw what was ahead of us...

There was no way we were getting through. The road was completely blocked for miles, hundreds of walkers gathered. Speaking of which, as we sat in the car, staring at the undead that littered the road, they began to crowd the car, scratching and hitting at it to get in.

"Grab something!" I yelled as I pulled the car into reverse and slammed my foot on to the accelerator.

Thud, thud, thud. I ran over more walkers that had been behind us, the car bumping up and down at I rolled over them. But there were too many, and the pile under the car now had us stuck...

"Go to the left!" Michonne suggested, seeing a clearing that wouldn't last long.

But as I tried to drive forward, we didn't move, the walkers underneath us stopping the car from going both forwards and backwards.

"We're jammed up. Have to make a run for the gaps right there." I told them, gesturing to a small path through the walkers that lead towards the woods. "You two make a run for the woods, and you don't stop for nothing, you hear me?" I told Bob and Michonne.

Without waiting for an answer, I pushed the sunroof open. "Now!" I yelled, standing up to crawl out of the roof as Bob and Michonne got out.

I shot a walker before getting out. Sliding down the front of the car I stab one of the walkers in the head before rolling off and running for the clearing.

A few other walkers were in my way, so I dealt with them as fast as I could, knowing that the longer I took the more walkers would surround us.

"Ty!" I heard Bob yell, though I was too preoccupied to look at whatever was going on. "Ty!"

After a moment, as I continued on, I heard Ty yelling though it wasn't clear over the growls and snarls of the walkers. Finally, I got to the tree line, where Michonne stood, sword at the ready. I killed one last walker and as it fell Bob came to view just a few steps away.

"Go! Go!" Tyresse yelled over the walkers.

"Come on." I grabbed Bob's arm, leading us into the woods and leaving Ty behind.

We came to a clearing, the three of us panting as we continued to run, walkers on our trail.

Looking behind us, I noticed nothing was following at the moment, so I stopped. "Hold up." I got my crossbow ready, waiting for something to come out of the bushes.

The branches startled rustling, whatever was inside getting closer. Moving closer, the three of us were ready for whatever it was...

The snarl of a walker alerted us as it stumbled out of the bushes, moving towards us. Another right behind it. I was just about to shoot one of them when the second one fell to the ground, revealing Ty, a bloodied shirt...

He fell to his knees, obviously tired. He had fought his way through that crowd, pushing his way through to survive.

The other walkers, now realizing Ty was behind it, turned for him, snarling. But before it could get to him, the three of us moved forward, Michonne killing the walkers as I helped Ty up.

"Come on." I grabbed his arm, helping him to his feet as more walkers came out of the bushes.

Without waiting, the four of us ran, or well tried to. We didn't have the strength or the energy to kill all the walkers. The only option we had was to be faster than them.

**RPOV**

I watched as Carol carried the buckets of water towards the cell blocks. After having helped save her, I felt agitated. She shouldn't have gone out to clear the hose by herself. If she had been caught, we would have been another person short.

"That was a stupid thing you did." she stopped, looking over at me as I continued. "Going out there like that."

"Yes, it was." she answered simply.

I moved down the few steps, heading towards her. "You know, you do a lot for us, for the kids. You sacrifice a lot." I looked at her, seeing the confused and slightly worried look on her face. "Is there anything you wouldn't do for the people here?"

She shook her head slightly, answering confidently. "No." turning away she continued to deliver the water.

Nodding my head, I knew I had to finish this. To hear the words. "Carol?" she stopped again to look at me. Mustering up the confidence to ask her what needed to be asked, I sighed. "Did you kill Karen and David?" I finally looked at her.

Carol wasn't just someone at the camp. She was one of the few that had been part of our group from the beginning. Since Atlanta, the CDC, the farm, the long eight months on the streets unprotected. Since we found the prison. She, along with Carl, Glenn, Daryl, Vickie and myself, was part of how we came to be. So if she had killed Karen and David. If she had set them on fire and  _murdered_  two of our own... I wasn't sure how I would deal with the situation...

"Yes."

That there, that one word. I knew it had been coming. I knew from the moment I saw that hand print it had to have been Carol. No one else had enough guts to kill two people, in order to save the rest; not like that.

Yet there had been hat part of me. That part that had wished -that had  _prayed-_ that she wasn't the one. But, of course, no amount of wishing and praying could change what had been done.

After a moment of looking at each other as I tried to grasp the reality of what I now had to do, of the responsibility I now had, she finally looked away, once again heading off to deliver the water.

**  
**

**Chapter 7**

**Kumbaya**

**VPOV**

This was bad. Very, very bad. Rolling over in bed, I could feel how sick I really was. I had been stupid to think it was just stress. After worrying about Aly all that time, I never even thought about what would happen if it had been me that got sick...

Now, with Daryl gone, and turns out dad and Carol went out early this morning too, I wasn't sure what I was surpposed to do.

What if I died before either of them got back? What if something happened while I was in quarintine? What about if Aly found out? Or Carl? Even Maggie? Glenn and her dad were already in there, now her best friend?

Groaning I sat up, reaching for Daryl's poncho and pulling it on. I quickly slipped on my shoes before getting up, and making my way to my door.

I knew I had to be careful. It way only seem like a sort walk every other day, but now that I was sick heading over to A block seemed like a dangerous path. I had to worry about making it in one peice and not infecting anyone at the same time...

"Vickie?" Maggie was down on the ground floor, seeming to have been getting ready to work. But at the sight of me she paused, watching worriedly as I made my way down the stairs.

I raised my hand so she wouldn't come any closer. "I'll be fine. I'm just going to head over to A block." I coughed, my chest vibrating painfully. "I'll be fine." I repeated as I continued on towards the cell...

**DPOV**

"This is Turner Creek." Michonne noted as we looked at the map. "So, Burnesville must be a few miles downstream."

"Sounds like our best chance at finding a new ride." Bob nodded, ready for the jounry ahead.

"Yo, Ty." I called out to Tyresse as he washed his shirt in the water. "Come on. Let's go,  _v`amonos_." without waitng for a response, I grabbed my things, heading off.

Behind me I could hear T and Bob talking, but I wans't going to waste anymore time. We needed to get the meds and get back. It was that simple.

**VPOV**

I sat next to Glenn on the walk way, Lizzie in front of me as I ran my hand through her hair to calm her down. Seeing as she was friends with Aly, she attached herself to me, and I knew chances were Glenn and I were sticking together too.

Hershel was doing his rounds, taking care of everyone. Some were really bad, already bleeding from the eyes, almost dead. Then there were the few like me and Lizzie, just barely sick. Glenn was in the middle. There was a bigger possibility of him surviving, sure, but seeing how far he was gone, how far Zach and Sasha were gone too...

Lizzie and I would heal fast once the meds were in our system. We hadn't been sick long enough to really worry right now. As long as we kept doing what Hershel said, saving our energy and drinking the medicinal tea he had made, then chances were we'd be okay.

But it was easier said than done. I had already helped Hershel clear out a body, which I had offered to kill in the room away from everyone else. He didn't want them to see what was being done to the bodies...

"Vickie?" Lizzie turned around and leaned against my chest, hugging me. "You think Carol and Rick will be okay? Daryl and the others too?"

I nodded, petting her hair soothingly. "I'm sure everyone will be okay."

Next to me, Glenn gave a pointed look. We both knew there was no real way of knowing if the others were going to be okay, or if we would be. But I had hope, and right now that was all I had...

"Why don't you go rest? I'll be in there in a moment." I smiled down at her.

Nodding, she stood and headed for the cell she'd slept in last night. Since I joined everyone this morning, she had practically begged me to share the cell with her; and I had no problem with that. She just wanted someone to be with her, and without Aly, I was happy to take care of Lizzie.

Once she was gone, I sighed, resting my head on Glenn's shoulder. It had been awhile since we really got to hang out, it was unfortunate that the circumstances weren't better. But we had been really good friends, still were, and I guess having each other now was helpful.

"Maggie's probably worried sick about us." he sighed, his cheek resting on my head.

"Yeah. I bet. I'm just glad she's not sick too, you know? Everyone else as well. It's bad enough we're in here..."

There was a sweet silence that fell between us, not at all uncomfortable or awkward. It was just nice, and friendly. There was no preasure to make conversation or anything like that when it came to Glenn.

He chuckled lightly which caused him to cough, catching my attention. "What?" I asked, moving back so I could look at him.

He shrugged. "I just remembered when we first met."

I grinned at the memory. "Ah, yes. The high way, bus and fast red car."

"You had just been standing there. I was sure you were a walker or something. But when I saw you, I had never been more shocked in my life... well except for the time Maggie rode up to us on a horse to get Lori after you and Carl had been shot. I think that was more shocking than anything."

"I heard about that." I laughed, whiched caused me to cough too. Once I was finished, I went on, trying to ignore it. "You had a crush on me and then Daryl and I got close. Then Maggie turned up, and you liked her..." I grinned cheekily. "I think you have a thing for big enterances."

He blushed slightly, tilting his head back in a way that made my eyes look to his sweat covered forehead. "Yeah, well, I kinda knew I didn't stand a chance with you once I saw how close you and Daryl got." he shrugged.

Leaning over I kissed his cheek. "Things turned out for the best then, huh?" I stood up slowly, ready to head over to Lizzie to make sure she was okay. As I stood, the world spun and I almost lost my footing. Luckily I grabbed the wall before I fell.

"You okay?" Glenn asked, all previous amusement gone as he looked up at me worried.

"She should be in bed. Both of you should be." we turned to Hershel as he made his way up the stairs towards us. "Come on you two." he nodded to the cells, offering me a hand to help me walk.

I shook my head, declining the offer as I grabbed Glenn and helped him up. "I'm fine." I told the two of them as they watched me shake slightly. We all knew I was getting worse, and we all knew I was getting worse faster than expected. But I wasn't going to dwell. "Wake me if you need help with anything." I nodded to Hershel before moving for the cell, every step heavier than the last, my legs like jelly, my body like stone...

**DPOV**

I stopped along the track, a stone on the ground catching my eye. Kneeling down, I picked it up, checking to make sure it was the right kind of stone I needed.

"Is that Jasper?" Michonne asked as she stopped beside me.

"Mmm-hmm." I nodded, looking up at her.

"It's a good colour. Brings out your eyes." she grinned.

"When Ms Richards went into A block, we were leaving. Asked me to keep a look out. "I explained to her, standing up. "I'm gonna use it for her old man's marker." I went to keep walking.

"You know all of them back there?"

"You stay in one place more than a couple hours, you'd be surprised what you pick up." I called over my shoulder as I kept on walking down the track.

 

...

 

I sat in a car that had been under some bushes by an old gas station. As I tried to hot wire it, the others cleared the bushes and branches. But the battery was dead.

"We gotta find us a new battery." I sighed as I closed the car door. Turning around and stepping closer to the window of the gas station, I spat on my hand so I could clean the window in order to look in.

The moment my hand touched the glass, a walker jumped at the window, snarling at me. By the sounds of things there seemed to be more than just the one by the window.

"Got some friends inside." I turned to the others. "Come on."

The four of us walked to the front of the building where the enterance was blocked. A tree must had fallen over time and was covering the front of the building.

"Let's clear a path, see how many we got." I suggested as each of us moved to a different spot of the fallen tree and started clearing.

Ty went into it right away. Grunting and puffing as he fought the branches and foilage as if they were walkers. His mind was not in the game. If he kept going to way he was, he was gonna end up dead or get one of us dead...

"Hey, man, go easy. We don't know what we're dealing with." I reminded him.

Yet he kept going, ignoring me comletely. As the hook at the end of his blade got caught on something this seemed to aggrivate him more. It was wasting his time, stopping him from getting this done so we could do what we had to and get back to his sister.

He pulled it free, some wire tangled at the end of his blade. Pulling it off and throwing it to the ground, he got back to work pretty easy, the rest of us loking away.

Suddenly a hand reached out of the branches, reaching for my neck but grabbing my vest as the walker growled.

Michonne was quick to act, cutting the arm off without hesitating.

Suddenly the sound of another walker caught her attention as Bob gasped. A walker grabbed at him, half stuck in the tree.

I dealt wih mine a fast as I could. It was tangled in some vines so I just grabbed it and stabbed it in the head. Once it was dead, I turned to look at the others, seeing Ty actually trying to pull the walker that had been reaching for him, out of the tree. It was as if he wanted to fight it, not just kill it...

Michonne decapitated Bob's wlaker for him seeing as he had a tight grip on him. With that one down, we all turned to Ty, not sure if we should cut in or just let him do what he wanted.

"Tyresse!" Bob yeled, warning him.

"Ty!"

"Ty, let him go." Michonne told him, though he kept tugging.

Finally he got the walker free, although as he pulled it out, he fell to his back, pulling the walker along. It was on top of him, snapping it's jaw, ready for the bite.

I moved fast, grabbing the thing and pulling it off him. Bob was right there at the ready, gun out. With a quick shot to the head, he killed the walker.

I helped Ty to his feet, even though there was a part of me, and not a small part, that was pissed off. He should have just let the walker go, killed it and moved on like the rest of us. Tugging at it, doing what he did, made the situation worse  _and_  take longer than it should have.

"Why the hell didn't you let go?" Michonne asked him, seeming just as pissed as me.

Ty just looked at her, not answering.

Seeing as that was all she was getting, she turned away as the three of us continued to clear a path, leaving him to do whatever he wanted.

**RPOV**

We entered one of the houses. Carol kept watch as I made my way for the bathroom. Once inside I searched the cupboards, draws and cabinet for anything we could use.

The whole way here, Carol had either been silent, or trying toconvince me that what she had done wasn't wrong. But each time she had tried to explain to me that she had done the right thing, that she had helped everyone, it seemed like she was trying to convince herself aswell.

With everything use able stashed in the bag, I walked out, moving to the kitchen.

Suddenly the sound of a wlaker caught our a ttention as we looked at the stair. A woman came to view, dressed in pink pjs. She took one look at us, groaned, and tried to walk down the stairs. She tumbled down.

I grabbed Carol, pulling her back. "Carol!"

The sound of bones cracking sent shivers down my spine as the walkers went to get up. But before it could, Carol pulled out her knife, moving forward swiftly and stapping the walker in the head.

The sound of alock turning had us both up, my gan raised. We were ready for what or whoever was up there. Slowly, the door opened, it's creak sounding through the ever silent house.

Two heads popped out, a girl and boy, both around Vickie's age. Stepping out, they showed us their hands, unarmed and not threatening.

"Whoa, whoa." the guy smiled awkwardly at us, mygun still raised. "It's cool. We're cool."

"We have fruit." the girl lifted her hands, a piece of fruit in each.

"Yeah, we got apricots, peaches" he grabbed one of the ones she held. "Here, catch." he threw it towards us, but it fell before even making it halfway, a miserable throw.

Carol and I just watched the piece of fruit fall and bounce before rolling and coming to a stop by the dead walker.

"Or, you know, don't." he chuckled, shifting awkwardly.

**DPOV**

Bob and I headed inside as Michonne and Ty stayed out to clear the car more. The plan was to get inside, get a battery, fix the car and go. Do it fast and get it done.

"Here we go." I cleared my throat, moving towards the shelf where batteries sat. Grabbing one of the shelf that was right for the car, I checked to make sure it was okay.

"Hmm, cells look pretty dry." Bob noted.

Closing it up, I shrugged. "A little distilled water will clear that right up."

Looking around for anything else that we might be able to use, I came to a stop, shinning the light on the ground.

"That's puke." I looked at the mess that sat next to antifreeze coolant. "Those douchbags in the vines ook themselves out, holding hands,  _Kumbaya_  style."

"They wanted to go out together same way as they lived. That make them douchbags?"

"It does if they could have gotten out." I answered, moving on, continuing to look for supplies.

"Everybody make it, till they don't." I looked at him as he went on. "People nowadays are dominoes. What they did, maybe it's about not having to watch them fall."

Nodding, trying not to laugh, I kept going. "Right."

Coming to the end of the isle, I turned to move down the next. But lying there under some fallen rubble was a walker... stuck and groaning.

We both moved to stand above it, looking down as it tried to move. Without a second thought I just turned and moved on. If they wanted to kill themselves, then whatever. It means they were weak, and I wasn't going to waste time crying over it.

**  
**

**Chapter 8**

**Choices**

**DPOV**

"You never told us about the group you were with before." I looked over my shoulder at Bob as I worked on fixing the car.

Michonne and Ty were off doing what they had to do, leaving me with Bob. He seemed off, like something was wrong, pulling him down. So I thought maybe getting him to talk would help.

"Which one?"

Shrugging I turned back to the car.

I had thought that was it. He didn't look like he wanted to talk. But he kept going. "You know, when you found me out on that road, I almost kept walking."

"Why's that?"

"'Cause I was done being a witness. Two times, two different groups. I was the last one standing. Like I was supposed to see it happen over and over, like it's some kind of curse. But when it's just you out there with the quiet... Used to be I'd drink a bottle of anything just so I could shut my eyes at night. Figured the prison, the people, thought it's be easier. The run to the Big SPot, I did it for me."

"You gotta keep busy." I nodded, grabbing the jug of water and taking a drink.

"No. I did it so I could get me a bottle. Of anything. I picked it up, I held it in my hand, but I put it down. I put it down so hard, it took the whole damn shelf with it. That's what brought on the walkers, and that's what nearly got us all killed. Especially Zach and Vickie. It's my fault they nearly died."

So that's what's had him acting strange. He's feeling guilty for no reason. It wasn't his fault, and it's not like anyone actually died.

"That's bullshit." I stared at him as he looked up at me. "Get in there and try the engine. It's a red and green wire." I gestured to the car. "Go on. It ain't rocket science." he moved around to the driver's side. "Give it some gas."

I waited for him to try the car, the sound of the engine coming to life the best sound I'd heard all day. Clapping to myself I closed the hood, before whistling out to the others.

Walking around to the driver's side where Bob still sat, I knew I should do something to help. "Sasha, Vic and me picked that spot. We took you with us. Ain't no way anybody could've known. You ain't gonna be standing alone, not no more." I turned to the others as they reached the car. "Let's go."

 

...

 

After we had the car going, we didn't waste anymore time, just moved on to the vet school. The longer we were out here, the more people would get sick and die back at the prison.

Now, here we were, walking through the halls of the school, looking for everything Hershel put on the list. Bob and Michonne were looking in the medicine room, while Ty and I grabbed everything else we needed.

"How'd you do" Bob asked as we walked into the room, carrying two full bags each.

"Bags, tubes, clamps, connectors. Everything on the list." Ty nodded, placing the duffle bags onto a desk.

I moved next to him putting my bags down as well. "What about y'all?"

"Yeah, we got it all." Bob nodded.

Michonne checked the medicine case one last time before confirming. "Yeah, we're good."

"All right." we all grabbed our things, ready to head off. "Let's roll."

We made our way through the halls again, checking each room as we walked by just in case.

Unfortunately as we walked past one, my torch caught the attention of a walker. We hurried further along, Michonne a few steps ahead as we neared the stairs. Following the exit signs. We walked into what looked like a storage room of sorts. Up ahead were a set of doors, the exit sings telling us to go that way. But as we got closer, we could see that they were chained up...

"Hey! Door's busted." Bob called quietly from the door as he tried to close it.

I turned back around, moving to go help him and Michonne and Ty waited by the next doors.

We pushed a cabinet against it, the action making a loud thud. Soon after we could hear the snarls of walkers. By the looks of things the cabinet wasn't going to hold for long, so we had to move fast.

Suddenly a walker jumped out, grabbing at Ty. But he killed t fast, and violently with a hammer.

Once the walker was down we turned back to the chained doors. Michonne grabbed for the chain and lock, the clinging of the metal loud against the silence of the room. Walkers pressed against the door in front of us from the other side, the noise attracting them.

"How many?" I asked as I tired to shine my light through the crack of the door to see if I could count the number of walkers that stood between us and our way out.

"I can't tell." Michonne answered.

The sound of something scraping along the floor drew our attention back to the other door. Like I had guessed, the cabinet didn't hold, and now we had walkers headed our way.

"We could take them." Ty went to move to the walkers as they filed into the room.

"No!" Bob yelled, stopping Ty. "They're infected. Same as at the prison. We fire at them, get their blood on us, breathe it in. We didn't come all this way to get sick."

"How d we know the ones in there aren't any different?" Ty nodded to the chained doors.

"We don't." Michonne answered, sounding calm, keeping her cool. Which was how we should be all reacting.

I nodded, not stressing over it all too much. "It's gotta change sometime." I knew, no matter what, I was going back to the prison, nothing was stopping me. If that meant taking risks, then fine.

Kicking at a small overturned table, I broke one of it's legs off. Grabbing the leg I jammed it in the handle of the door, looking to the others.

"Ready?"

"Do it!" Ty yelled.

I ripped the handle off the door, the chain swinging down as the door flew open, three walkers pushing into towards us. Bob shot one easily, as Michonne sliced the heads off the other two in one move.

"Come on!" I called before we all ran out of the room, the other walkers right behind us.

**VPOV**

I sat on the bed in Lizzie and my cell, feeling worse and worse by the minute. Hershel wasn't letting me help him with the bodies anymore. I was exhausting my body, which was what was making my symptoms get worse. Hershel had given Lizzie the job of keeping an eye on me, to watch me and make sure I was okay. I knew he was only doing it to keep her busy and so she could feel like she was helping. But surprisingly she did help me feel better.

She told me stories as she brushed my hair. She'd try to make me laugh and smile. She was doing whatever it took to distract me from everything that was worrying me.

Because there was a lot that was worrying me. I had no clue if Aly was okay. I had no clue if Daryl, dad, Carl,  _any_ one was okay. I was sick, actually I felt like I could be dying, and no one I loved knew I was here.

Maggie had come to the window earlier, that was connected to a separate room of the cell block. She had asked me if she should tell Carl I was in here. But I told her no. I didn't want him to worry when he had a job to do. Although I knew the moment the others got back, she'd tell my dad and Daryl. I didn't mind if they knew. I was sure they'd understand that me being in here and away from them was the right thing.

"Vickie?" I looked over at Lizzie as she walked back into the room with two cups of the medicinal tea. She handed me one, watching as I sipped the liquid.

I smiled kindly at her, resting my head back against the wall. "Thanks sweetie."

She smiled back before moving to sit next to me. We just sat there in silence, sipping our tea for awhile. Her head leaning against my arm.

**DPOV**

We moved as fast as we could, following Michonne as she lead us through the halls of the vet school, moving us towards the stairs at the end of the hall that should lead to an exit. Bob was behind us, moving objects on to the floor like tables, filing cabinets and chairs, to slow the walkers down.

Michonne tried the door to the stairs, but it didn't budge.

"Back." I told her as I went to kick at the wooden door.

"We don't have an exit." she wasn't calm and collected anymore. We were running out of options and all of us were beginning to panic.

"Then we make one!" I jumped up on to the window sill by the door, trying to open the window.

Ty, doing as I suggested, grabbed a fire extinguisher. "Get down!" I only had a second to react before he threw the extinguisher, smashing the glass.

"Come on! Move it!" I yelled, grabbing Michonne's hand and helping her up. "Jump down to the walkway below."

"They're here!" Bob yelled.

"Go, go, go, go. Move." I waited for Ty and Michonne to get through first before jumping out myself, landing on the roof of the walkway.

I had to move out of the way for Bob, grabbing the bags before getting up and moving to where Michonne and Ty were at the end of the walkway's roof. The sound of snarls had us turn around, seeing Bob leaning over the edge of the roof, grasping his bag tightly as he fought against the walkers for it.

The three of us hurried over to Bob, pulling at him to get him up before he fell into the crowd of hungry walkers below. But he refused to let go of the bag, which was keeping us from getting him up.

"Bob, let it go." Michonne told him, just as we did to Ty earlier on.

"Let it go man." Ty said as we kept pulling. "Just let it go."

"Let go of the bag, man." I wasn't as kind as the others, grunting it out. He should have just dropped it and moved on. His life wasn't worth a bag- especially seeing as it didn't look like it had much in it anyway.

Bob finally got it free, swinging it up and on to the roof beside us. The sound of glass clinking caught our attention... I moved over to his bag after a moment, seeing something poking out of it. Pulling the object out, I found a bottle of alcohol.

"You got no meds in your bag? Just this?" I looked up at Bob, hold the liquor. He watched me and the bottle as I added, "You should have kept walking that day." I went to throw the bottle.

"Don't."

I stopped, turning my head to look at Bob, his hand resting on his gun, ready to go.

Walking up to him, my anger boiling, I pushed against his chest, my forehead against his as I challenged him. He stepped back as I kept pushing forward. I grabbed his gun with one hand, his shirt with the other. He just kept looking down, looking away from me. I was pissed. Alcohol? There were people dying back home. I didn't even know if Vic and Aly were one of them. We were suppose to be getting meds, to help our people. But he grabs alcohol? I wanted to throw him off the roof and let the walkers rip him to shreds.

"Just let it go, Daryl. The man's made his choice." Ty called. "Nothing you can do about it. Just gotta let it go."

I let my hand drop from his shirt as I stepped back.

"I didn't want to hurt nobody." Bob shook his head. "It was just for when it gets quiet."

I shoved the bottle against his chest, glaring a him. "You take one sip before those meds get in our people, I will beat your ass into the ground. You hear me?" I didn't wait for an answer, just turned and walked off.

**RPOV**

I stood from where I had been kneeling by the back of the car, Carol moving to get in. I locked it before she could, turning to her as she looked at me with question.

She was a changed woman. The Carol I knew, she would have waited long for those two people to come back. She'd fixed the guy's shoulder, and when they offered to help us find food and supplies, she had agreed- though I hadn't like that idea. They were going to come back with us.

Yes it was unfortunate that we found the girl, two walkers already eating her... But the guy was still out there. He could still be alive. Waiting was risky, she was right, but the Carol I knew would have waited longer anyway.

And then there was the fact she'd murdered two of our own. I couldn't let that slide. I couldn't even look at her the same anymore.

"They could have lived." I stepped closer to her. "Karen and David, they might have lived, and now they're dead. That wasn't your decision to make." her hand fell from the car door. "When Tyreese finds out... he'll kill you." I nodded, knowing it was the truth. He damn near killed me over nothing."

"I can handle Tyreese." she shrugged as if that was the only problem we had. It wasn't.

"When the others find out, they won't want you there. And if they don't make it back, if everybody dies of this thing and it's just the two of us, with Judith and Carl and Vickie, with my _\- my_  children." I shook my head. "I won't have you there."

"Rick, it's me." she knew now what I meant. She knew what was happening. "No one else has to know. I thought you were done making decisions for everyone."

"I'm making this decision for me." I corrected.

"I could have pretended that everything was gonna be fine." she rubbed at her face, getting rid of the tears the rolled down her cheeks. "But I didn't. I did something. I stepped up. I had to do something."

"No, you didn't."

I watched as she stood there, wiping away more tears. "If you think I'm going anywhere without Lizzie and Mica-"

"You want them to leave, to go out there with you?" I couldn't believe what she was saying. "Lizzie's sick. Mica is ten years old."

"Please, you can't."

"We'll keep them safe." I nodded, not discussing it. There were no options here. She was going and that's final. "You're not that woman who was too scared to be alone, not any more. You're gonna start over, find other, people who don't know, and you're gonna survive out here. You will." I turned away from her.

"Maybe."

I pulled out supplies from the back of the car as she stood there, watching me, not making an effort to help. She was upset, I could tell and I didn't blame her. But this was the right thing. I was doing the right thing.

**  
**

**Chapter 9**

**Dress Ups and Disasters**

**VPOV**

I sat in the cell with Lizzie, trying to keep her occupied while Hershel, Sasha and Glenn try to save Henry's life. Henry's one of the many people in here with us, one of the people we had found on the road and took in. He wasn't doing so well right now... I wasn't sure if he was going to make it. So I was doing my best to keep Lizzie's attention on me. That way she won't have to see what they do to Henry, before or after he passes.

"Mica thinks Daryl's scary." she went on, as we sat on the ground playing with some toys that were brought in for the sick kids. "But I don't. I think he's really nice."

"He is nice, but he can be scary too if you don't know he's nice." I shrugged, dressing one of the dolls.

We sat in silence once more for a while. I watched Lizzie as she set up some of the dolls for a tea party. She was really sweet; Mica too. Beautiful little girls. But there were times, times when I wondered if Lizzie was a good influence. Going down to the fences had always been Lizzie's idea. Talking to the walkers, calling them over. The kids laughed and had fun, tormenting the monsters; though I was sure they didn't mean anything by it. But it seemed... wrong. Dangerous as well of course, but wrong too.

The sound of coughing had Lizzie and I look toward the door of our cell. I was sure she knew what was happening, I just didn't want her to see it.

"So, what should I call this one?" I asked her, lifting the doll I had just dressed. A pretty pink dress with white shoes, brown hair swept over it's shoulder.

Lizzie turned back, looking at the doll before looking up at me and then to the doll again. "Vickie. I think you should call her Vickie."

I laughed, lifting the doll so she was next to my face. "Do we look the same?"

She nodded, without a smile, simply nodded. She looked down, upset. I wanted to change that, but I came to realize there was nothing I could. Everytime I tried, she simply looked up at me with a blank face...

"Vi-Vickie!" Sasha called, coughing afterwards.

"I'll be right back." I nodded to LIzzie before getting up.

Making my way out of the cell and towards Henry's, I used the walls and railings to keep me standing as my head spun. I was breathing hard and past, out of breath. I was getting worse, I knew it. There was no sugar coating the fact that I wasn't doing too good.

Walking into the cell, seeing Sasha on the ground bent over Henry, pumping an air bag thing that was connected to a tube that run into Henry's throat. She looked worse than me, I could see that. Her skin pale, her eyes red rimmed. Sweat covered her.

She looked up and I could see how thankful she was for me coming. "I need you to take over. Just keep pumping this. It's keeping him alive."

Nodding I got down to me knees, using the wall to slowly lower, or I'd just fall flat on my face. Once I was next to her, I reached over to replace her hands.

She sighed leaning back. "Thank you."

I just nodded once more, pumping the bag or whatever it was. I was too tired to think of the name of it.

I kept my eyes on Henry as Sasha stood, leaving to go to her own cell. I had a feeling now that I wasn't with her, Lizzie would start wandering around, but I couldn't worry about that. Henry was at risk and so my attention had to be on him.

 

...

 

"Hey."

I looked up to see Glenn walking into the cell as I continued to work on the pump for Henry. He looked exhausted, using the railings to get around. I moved over so he could sit next to me on the ground, though he had to use the walls like I had to get down.

"How many?" I asked bitterly. We were losing people fast. They were just dropping like flies.

He groaned getting comfortable next to me. "Only one." I nodded slowly, the action making me dizzy. He must have noticed, placing is hands over mine on the pump. "Here, I got it. You should rest."

"You sure?" I asked, only to be polite. Honestly I was grateful he was taking over.

When he nodded, looking down at Henry, working the pump, I got up. There were no more words that had to be shared, nothing left to say. So I used all my strength- with the help of the wall- to get to my feet. I moved out of the cell slowly. When I say move it's because I wasn't really walking anymore. My legs refused to do as I asked, dragging my feet along as if they were made of stone. It took everything in me not to trip. But of course that was asking too much.

I started to fall to the ground, having tripped over my feet like I knew I would. But before I landed flat on my face, someone was helping me, trying to keep me steady.

"Whoa." Zach groaned as he kept me up. "You okay?"

Nodding slowly I used him and the railing to get back up again. "Thanks." I said, only to start coughing uncontrollably.

He slid his arm around me, keeping me up. He was sick, yes, but I had noticed he was doing a lot better than me. Which is why he could help me into his cell- it was closer than mine- and sat me on the bed.

"You should just stay here, rest." he noted, taking a seat in the corner.

I rolled over, coughing again. He was next to me in an instant, petting my back gently to help get me through the coughing fit. Once it was over I rolled onto my back again, giving a short nod.

"Thanks." I mumbled, my throat coarse and raw.

He shrugged moving back to the corner. "You saved me I guess it's time I return the favour."

**RPOV**

I jumped out of the car, turning to Maggie just as she closed the gate. I was glad I was finally back. Being away always had me worry about my kids. "Carl, Vickie, Judith, are they okay?"

She gave me a look, a single look and I knew something was wrong. "Vickie's sick."

I stopped dead in my tracks, feeling myself go cold. "How bad?"

But she just shook her head. "I don't know I haven't seen her."

Nodding slowly I asked, "Carl and Judith, they're okay?"

"Yeah." she answered, before looking to the car. "Where's Carol?"

I wasn't ready to answer that and so I simply went on. "Glenn, Hershel, Zach, Sasha?"

"Yeah. It's bad, but they're fighting it. Daryl's not back yet." with her answer I went to move back to the car, only to have her stop me. "Rick. Rick, where's Carol?"

I knew I had to tell her, she'd eventually find out anyway. But I just didn't know how'd she react, how anyone would react. Especially Daryl. He and Carol were close friends, the time Vickie had been gone for eight months brought those two closer. Vickie liked her too, and they had a connection because of Sophia. But I had done the right thing. I knew I did, I just hoped they did too.

Turning back to Maggie, I answered, not holding back. "It was her. She killed Karen and David." Maggie's face fell as I explained. "She was trying to stop it from spreading. Tyresse is gonna be back here soon, so I didn't think she should be here. And I couldn't have her here. She has a car, supplies, she'll figure it out. I'll tell you dad. You don't tell anyone else yet."

She nodded, still shocked. "Okay."

I went to walk back to the car, but needed to know, needed to really know if I had been right. "Would you have brought her back?"

"She said she did it?"

I gave a short, sharp nod. "Yeah."

I could tell she was struggling with the idea, but she answered anyway. "Then you were right to send her away. I don't know if I could have."

"You could have, Maggie. You've done harder things. Don't doubt yourself. We don't get to anymore." I finally turned to the car and got in.

I had to go see Carl, make sure Vickie was okay, and tell Hershel. There were so many things I had to do.

**VPOV**

I hadn't liked the idea of going to see my dad, but Hershel came to get me, claiming dad needed to see me. Otherwise he wouldn't believe I was okay. Which was funny, because seeing him would only confirm his worries; I wasn't okay and it was obvious. But I made my way down anyway.

Zach had offered to help me but I turned him down. I had been in his room still, Lizzie had joined us as well. She'd been reading a book that Hershel told her to try and finish, claiming it was her job, While Zach and I played thump wars and slaps. Too tired and sick to do much else.

Using the wall for support, I rounded the next corner, watching the ground to make sure I didn't fall. My body felt heavy and sore, and with how tired I was it made moving just that much harder.

"Vickie?" I looked up, only a few steps from the window. Dad watched me with sad, worried, father eyes, as I moved towards him.

But I still offered a small smile, no matter how bad I felt. "Hey, daddy." I stopped in front of him, standing up, trying not to use the wall or window for support. It was hard, but I couldn't let him see how bad I was.

"I wouldn't have gone if I knew." he shook his head, obviously feeling guilty. "I'm sorry."

"Don't. Don't think like that. There's nothing you could have done anyway."

He looked away, sighing. I could tell he was struggling. The fact he couldn't come in and help me was eating away at him. Protecting me, Carl and Judith was his number one goal. Anything happens to us, and it would break him.

"How's the kids? How's Carl, Judith and Aly?"

He looked up, nodding. "They're fine. They're all okay."

I smiled, a real smile. I didn't even realise how worried I had been. Since coming in here I hadn't seen them or heard anything about them. It had been more torturous than the illness, not knowing if they were okay.

"Daryl will be back soon." I reassured him as he continued to watch me with that heartbreakingly worried father look. "They'll bring the meds and everyone will be fine."

He nodded once more though his face told me he wasn't sure. "I've got to go. Maggie needs help." he gestured behind him to the exit before adding, "But if you need me, I'm here. I won't go anywhere else 'til your better."

I nodded, smiling kindly at him, grateful for such a loving dad. "I know. Thank you."

"I love you, Vickie."

"I love you, too." I placed my hand on the glass, for both support and him. He did the same with his hand, placing it over mine on the other side of the glass. "You should go."

He hesitated before letting his hand fall. "You too. Go rest." he watched me for a moment longer, waiting for me to give him a sign I'd do as he said. I nodded my head ever so slightly, which was good enough for him. So he turned, and left.

Once I was sure he was gone I let out a long breath, leaning against the window for support. My body was crying, begging me to sit down. Standing there took more out of me than I thought it would have. I turned anyway and headed back to the cell. I could have rested for a while, to recover, but I wanted to get back to the cells, so I could lie down and rest then.

I entered the cell block, seeing Hershel closing the doors to the cells to keep everyone secure. That way if someone did turn, they'd be behind bars, and everyone else would be safe.

"You okay?" he asked as I reached the stairs.

"Yeah."I answered simply, wanting to just go back to bed.

"Well you should drink some more-" Hershel was cut off by the snarls of a walker.

A female walker came out of a cell, snarling and grunting. She caught sight of Hershel, moving straight for him. Hershel moved away from the cell he'd been standing by, moving to the walker to kill it before it got anyone. But she just pushed him to the ground

"Hershel, no!"

Hershel wrestled with the walker, trying to keep it's snapping jaws away from him. "Everyone stay in your cells."

I moved as fast as I could, getting down the stairs. Using all my strength I pulled the walker away from Hershel, tossing her on the ground.

Just as I did this, one of the guys came out of his cell, gun raised as he went to shoot the walker. But before he could, another walker came out of nowhere, biting down on his arm. He accidently pulled the trigger as he screamed out in pain.

The bullet flew towards me, hitting me right in the shoulder. "Ahh!" I cried out falling to the ground.

I scurried away from the female walker as she crawled towards me. My shoulder was bleeding, pain pulsing through my body as I continued to drag my body along the floor. I reached for my knife where it sat in it's sheath by my side. I knew I had to get rid of this walker now before it was too late.

"Come on, boy." I looked up, seeing Lizzie lure Henry along the walkway upstairs.

"Lizz-" I was cut off as the female walker grabbed me. I acted quickly, stabbing the walker in the head just as her teeth neared my skin.

She was pulled off, Hershel standing above me. "Your shoulder." he went to kneel down.

I shook my head, pushing him away. "Go. Go!" I yelled.

He looked at me one last time before he nodded, turning around and rushing upstairs.

People were starting to panic everywhere, unsure of what to do as everything started falling apart. I couldn't afford to sit around. Using all my strength I got to my feet, using the stair railing I moved around so I could climb up.

Just as I got upstairs I saw Hershel grab Henry, pulling him off Lizzie before tossing him over the railing where he landed on the wire that kept people from jumping to the ground. Hershel ushered Lizzie into her cell, closing the door. As he turned he saw me, moving over to help. "Stay with the kids. Keep them safe." he told me as he opened the door to Lizzie's cell, helping me inside.

I looked down at Lizzie and the little boy, seeing how frightened they looked. I didn't argue with Hershel then. I simply moved to the kids as he left, the three of us huddling on the bed.

"Close your eyes." I told them kindly and softly. Once they closed their eyes, I covered their ears as I held them to me. Humming as loud as I could, to try and cover the noises from outside the cell, I did whatever it took to keep them from hearing or seeing any of this.

**RPOV**

I had Carl helping me with the fences. Maggie and I had been doing it together before, but had stopped when the sound of gunshots coming from the cell block could be heard. I'd sent her to go check on it, while I stayed and finished. The last thing we needed was the fences coming down and walkers filling the fields.

Maggie had been right though. I couldn't do it on my own, but I already knew that. So I had Carl help me. Now we were putting the logs in, both of us trying not to think about the cell block. Carl hadn't know Vickie was sick, and when I told him the worry on his face broke my heart. It was his sister, he loved her, and the fact she was sick, maybe even dying, had both of us scared.

"Think they're okay?"

I looked over my shoulder at him for a moment before getting back to work. "If things were going bad, we would have heard more shots. Maggie would have gotten us. We have to do this." I moved to the next log to lift it in place.

"Let's do it." he came over to help me.

"I got it."

But he wouldn't have it. "Let me help." he lifted the other end of the log.

As much as I didn't want him to have to do too many things, he insisted on helping any and every way. I was proud of him, yes. But I still wanted him to be a kid, to enjoy it while he still can.

"All right set it down." I nodded to him, the log now in place.

The sound of cracking wood had us both turn around just as one of the logs started to break. But before we could move over to that part of the fence, the log snapped, the fence giving in to the weight of the walkers as they pushed against it.

I pressed myself against the fence, trying to stop it from falling. But it was no use, another log broke and that was it. The fence moved, part of it coming down, and just like that walkers started piling in.

"Run!"

**CPOV**

Dad and I were safe, for now. We were in the courtyard, but the walkers were now pressing up against the next fence. It was only a matter of time before they pushed that one down as well.

"What do we do?"

"Maybe I could back the bus up against the fence." dad answered looking from the bus to the fence.

"Will it hold?"

He didn't answer though, just turned to me with a look that I could read all to clearly. He had no idea.

The walkers kept pushing and pressing against the fence. I could hear the sound of metal moving, even though the snarls were pretty loud. I had a bad feeling about this. I wasn't sure there was a way we could keep them out.

"Come on." dad grabbed my arm, rushing us over to the trolleys full of guns. He grabbed some ammo, handing it over to me. "Pockets." he handed me a gun. "Here. Got it?"

"Yep." I took everything he offered me, ready to do what needed to be done.

I knew the idea of me shooting a gun wasn't what dad wanted. He had tried to keep us away from that for as long as he could. But we both knew that there was nothing else we could right now. The only way to stop the walkers, were to kill them.

"All right. Listen to me." he turned away from the trolley, moving back to face the walkers again. "Magazine goes in here." he showed me. "Release is here. Make sure it latches. Pull back the operating rod and rounds feed up. Keep squeezing the trigger for rapid fire, okay?"

"All right." I nodded, taking in everything he said.

He stopped us, looking me right in the eyes. "You shoot or you run. Don't let them get close, okay?"

I gave a short nod, ready to o this, and with that we both turned ready to go.

The fence fell pretty much straight away, walkers filing in. We didn't wait, shooting at them right away. We didn't have time to aim and shoot, just hitting whatever we could. As long as they fell, we didn't have to worry.

**RPOV**

Carl and I moved around the walkers that lie on the floor, stabbing any that were still alive. I felt wrong. After months of trying to stay away from this, from violence, I had come back to it so easily; and I dragged my son along with me.

"Dad." I looked up at Carl as he went on. "It's gonna be okay." he told me before rushing off to the gate to let Daryl and the others in.

I waited, standing where I was without moving, until the car came up. I felt numb. No, I  _wanted_  to feel numb. It would be better than the shaking, scared feeling I was dealing with right now. I hated being the kind of man I had to be tonight.

Tyreese opened the van door before it even stopped. "Sasha? How's Sasha?"

"I don't know." I shrugged, being honest. "I'm sorry."

"Get in there." Daryl nodded to Tyreese. "We got this."

Tyreese didn't wait a moment before running off. Sasha was all he had left, and after what happened to Karen I didn't blame him for worrying.

Daryl moved to the back of the van, but I grabbed his arm before he could get too far. He stopped, looking up at me with a confused frown. I just looked at him, without saying a word, and just like that he knew.

"Where is she?"

I gestured to the cell block. "With the others."

He nodded a quick thanks before rushing off to go find Vickie.

**VPOV**

It was over, at least for now.

I sat in the cell, the kids on the ground playing with toys. I watched, noticing how both of them weren't really in the mood to play. They just went through the motions. It was like they thought the right thing to do was to play, even though they didn't want to.

"Vic! Victoria!" Daryl's voice echoed off the walls.

I stood, looking to the kids as they watched me. "Stay here, okay?" they both just nodded, not speaking. Moving towards the door, I tried to ignore all the pain in my body, especially my arm. I moved to lean against the railing, looking down. Daryl was going from cell to cell downstairs, looking for me. "Here." I called, weakly.

He looked up right away, eyes locking on me. Turning to the stairs he took three at a time, running up as fast as he could. As soon as he stood in front of me, he stopped, taking a good look at me. I could tell he wanted to touch me, just as I wanted to touch him, but he had to check to see if I was okay first.

"Your shoulder." he stepped closer, reaching to move my shirt down, revealing my shot shoulder. I hissed out in pain, his hand falling instantly. "What happened?"

I just shook my head. "It's a long story."

Looking at me he could see I was tired, could see how bad I was. "Come on." he reached for me, lifting me into his arms. "Where you sleeping?" he asked, looking to the cells.

I knew Lizzie and the little boy were in the cell I slept in, and I had a feeling Daryl wanted to talk some more. So I gestured to one of the empty cells. He carried me inside, gently placing me on the bed. I groaned, my body aching all over.

When he didn't speak, just looked down at me with worry, I reached for his hand.

"I'm okay."

"No, you ain't. You can't see how bad you look." he argued. "Vic-" he shook his head. "Shoulda stayed with you. I knew I should've stayed." he scolded himself.

"Hey." I squeezed his hand. "I'm fine. You guys are back, and you brought the meds. I'll be back to normal in no time." I offered a kind smile.

"You're shot!"

Rolling my eyes I shrugged. "So what, it's not the first time."

He didn't exactly find that funny. Getting to his feet he started pacing, looking pissed. Though I don't know if he was pissed at me, or himself, or something else. I could just see he was pissed.

"You should go check on Aly." I told him, trying to find a why to distract him from his worry.

He shook his head, gesturing to me. "Not till you're fixed up."

"Daryl-"

But he wouldn't have it. "Vic, no. Aly's fine. You're not. So I'm stayin'."

There was nothing I could do. I knew he wasn't going anywhere, probably not for the whole night. So I just laid down on the bed, scooting over and patting the spot next to me.

He watched me for a moment, hesitating. Not because I was sick, but because he didn't want to hurt me. But he came over anyway, sitting on the bed next to me. He got comfortable, making sure not to hurt me at the same time. He stayed there all night, I was pretty sure he didn't even sleep. Just watched me, making sure nothing happened, making sure I was okay.

**  
**

**Chapter 10**

**His Return**

**VPOV**

Last night before I fell asleep, Bob had come in to give me the medication, and fixed up my shoulder. It had been a clean shot, so it would heal quickly. When I woke up this morning, I felt good enough to walk around. It didn't take long for Houdini to find me, which had made me smile as he jumped up, licking my face. Then Aly came running along, throwing her arms around me. The kids were allowed out now, with the meds and everything the danger was gone.

Now I was sitting in the courtyard, the sun on my skin, smiling at Aly as I watched her run around, playing with Houdini. Daryl was off, somewhere, doing whatever it is he had to do. He had waited for me to wake up before he left, which was nice. He didn't want me worry about where he was.

"Vickie, look at me! Watch me!" Aly smiled as she tried to do a cartwheel. She, of course, thought it was perfectly executed, but I wasn't going to tell her otherwise.

Clapping my hands I cheered. "Woo! Go Aly!" her smile simply grew as she kept playing. It was a sight to behold.

**DPOV**

I paced along the walkway, shaking my head. After what Rick had just told me, I had every right to be pissed. Sending Carol away? What right did he have? I don't care if she killed two of our own. She still should have been able to explain herself. What if Tyreese understood? What if things turned out to be okay? Now she was out there, alone. A good friend, out there by herself.

"You couldn't have waited till we got back?" I grunted, turning to him.

"Until Tyreese got back?"

"I could have handled that." I turned away from him, pacing again.

"Hey, hey!" he whispered until I looked over at him again. "She killed two of our own. She couldn't be here." he nodded to himself as he went on. "She's gonna be all right. She has a car, supplies, weapons. She's- She's a survivor."

"Stop saying that like you don't believe it!" I leaned forward, pointing my finger in his face accusingly. Turning away I shook my head, anger still boiling.

Carol was a friend, a good friend; for both me and Vickie. Leaving her out there was cruel. She wasn't an evil person, she wasn't bad. She was trying to do the right thing, that's all. She didn't deserve to be out there.

"She did it. She said it was for us. That's how it was in her head. She wasn't sorry."

I moved to stand in front of him, trying so hard to keep myself from hitting him. "That's her, but that ain't her." I turned away once more. "What are we supposed to do with those two girls?"

He sighed. "I told her we'd look after them. I'm sure Vickie won't mind. She's already close with Aly. And the girls are all friends."

I scoffed, unamused and getting more pissed by the second. "Just dump them on your daughter?" I asked, shaking my head.

"It's not like that."

I leaned against railing, looking down at the ground. I didn't care what it was like, I was right. He sent Carol away, knowing perfectly well that she had two kids here that she was responsible for, and now he was passing them on to his daughter. I knew Vic had been getting close to Lizzie while they were sick, but that didn't mean she wanted to take her and Mica on.

Aly was different. Vic had seen Aly at Woodbury and there had been something special about her. Since then the two of them were as close as it could get. Some people even thought Vic was her sister or Aunt. She wasn't old enough to be her mum, otherwise people would think that too.

Rick broke the silence, changing the subject back to Ty. "I haven't told Tyreese yet. I don't know how he's gonna take it."

Standing up straight, I pushed off the railing, nodding. "Let's go find out."

 

...

 

Rick and I moved through the tombs, looking for Tyreese. We had to tell him about Carol now, before anything else happened, before he started things up again. I had no idea how he'd react, I just knew that no matter what, he had to know.

"Tyreese. You down here?"

"Rick, that you?" Tyreese called from down the tombs, not too far away.

Looking to each other I gave a short nod before me headed down, flashlights lighting our way as we moved around.

Ty came out of the shadows, something obviously up. I could tell just by looking at him. "You guys got to see this."

Rick wanted to tell him first, before he distracted us. "Can we take a beat? There's something we need to talk about."

"It can wait. Come on." he turned, not even waiting for us to answer or not. So we followed anyway. As we rounded another corner, he shined his light forward, nodding in that direction. "Look."

There, leaning against the wall, was a board with a dead rabbit nailed to it. Someone had cut opened and gutted, like some sort of sick, science experiment or something. I had never seen anything like it before...

"The hell?" I stepped forward, kneeling down to look at it.

"I was just looking for answers. And I found this. Same person that killed Karen and David did this." Tyreese started, both Rick and I standing as he went on. "Remember the rats at the fence? They showed up the same day she was killed. We got a psychopath living with us."

"Tyreese-" Rick started.

But he wouldn't listen. "We gotta find them, Rick. And I'm not gonna sleep until we do."

Rick and I shared a look. We both knew the truth. Carol killed Karen and David to keep the illness from spreading. There's no reason for her to be feeding walkers and killing rabbits only to gut them and leave them lying around. Forget about the reasons, Carol wouldn't even think about doing something like that. It was sick and twisted and wrong.

Looking back at Ty, Rick sighed, getting ready to tell him. "Tyreese, whoever did this, I don't think that's who killed Karen."

"Why?"

Rick opened his mouth to answer, but was stopped. There was a loud explosion that shook the whole place. Dust fell from the ceiling above.

I didn't know what just happened, but I knew one thing for sure, something was wrong. Really wrong. And we had to find out what, or who, that was.

"Come on." I tapped Rick on the arm before rushing forward, running for the closest exit.

**VPOV**

"Vickie, who are they?" Aly pointed out to the field.

I got to my feet, looking out to where she pointed. My blood ran cold, seeing cars parked on the other side of the fence... with a tank!

"Aly, get down!" I grabbed her, pushing us both to the ground. A loud explosion went off as I cover Aly's body, the tank shooting at one of the guard towers.

Aly screamed under me as Houdini barked, going off at the people. I felt someone pull me up. It was Bob, with Sasha, the two of them helping Aly and I moved to we were covered by the guard tower by the courtyard gate.

"Vickie!" Carl called as he ran towards us.

Maggie and Beth were behind them, though it didn't surprise me. The whole prison would have heard the tank. Heck they probably even  _felt_  it.

"Get back!" dad's voice yelled.

I turned around seeing dad, Daryl and Tyreese, all of them weapons at the ready. As they joined us, looking down at the tank, Daryl moved to Aly and me. I placed a hand on Aly's back to try and calm her as he looked at me, searching my eyes.

"Rick! Come down here! We need to talk!" I knew that voice. I'd know it anywhere. It was one of the many that haunted me. The Governor...

I stepped closer to Aly, moving her so she stood behind me. I would throw myself in danger's way before I'd let that creep get his hands on her. If that meant I got hurt- or even worse- then so be it. As long as she was safe.

"It's not up to me!" dad yelled back to him. "There's a council now! They run the place!"

"Is Hershel on the council?" the Governor made a gesture to one of his people.

There was movement, we watched, waiting. There was nothing else we could do. We didn't have the numbers to fight them off. Not to mention their  _tank_! A woman pulled Hershel out of one of the cars, leading him to kneel in front of the Governor where he stood on the tank.

Maggie gasped as she and Beth tensed. I couldn't even imagine what they were thinking at that moment. If that was my dad, I'd don't even know what I'd do. Kill them all? Freeze? Cry?

"What about Michonne?" the Governor asked as another pulled Michonne out of the same car. "She on the council, too?" they put Michonne next to Hershel.

I could tell how much dad was struggling with this. I knew there was no way for him to get out of this. The Governor wanted to talk to him and him alone, no one else would do. If we wanted our people back, our friends, our  _family_  back, then he had to play by the rules.

"I don't make decisions any more!"

"You're making the decisions today, Rick. Come down here. Let's- Let's have that talk."

Aly held on to my leg tightly as she hid behind me. I could feel her trembling with fear. My hand rested on her head, trying to give her as much comfort as I could, but there was no use. She was from Woodbury, she knew the Governor, and she knew just how bad he could be.

Dad looked to Daryl, asking if he should or shouldn't go. With a few quick, short nods from Daryl, dad then turned to Carl and me.

Cupping Carl's cheek he nodded. "We can do this." he spoke softly before looking over to me. Kissing my cheek quickly, I could feel just how tense he was.

I held his hand tightly, not wanting to let go. Chances of him coming back were slim, I could feel it. Things were about to get messy and bad really fast.

He stepped back, my grip falling from his hand. We all watched as he moved to the gate, Daryl helping him open it before he started down the hill.

A hand grabbed on to mine, the one I had been holding dad with. Looking down, I followed the arm, seeing it was Carl. He nodded to me, telling me it would be okay, to trust dad. But it wasn't that easy.

Daryl moved past us, looking me in the eyes with a look I knew very well. He was asking if I was okay. He was worried about me, just like he always was. I looked back at him, my eyes telling him I would be fine. But we both knew that only depended on how everything ended.

He moved to Sasha and Ty, ready to do what had to be done. "We can't take them all on. We'll go through the admin building, through the woods like we planned. We ain't got the numbers no more."

He was right, we all knew it. After this illness hit us our numbers had decreased drastically. We had less than half the people we had before. Taking a step towards them, Aly still holding onto me tightly, it was time to get ready for action. I wasn't going to just stand there and watch while my dad puts his life in danger. There were jobs that needed to be done.

"When's the last time the stash on the bus was checked?"

"Day before we hit the Big Spot." Sasha answered me. "We were running low on rations then. We're lower now."

"We'll manage." Daryl nodded, there was nothing we could do about it now. "Things go south, everybody heads for that bus. Let everybody know." he told Ty.

"What if everybody isn't on it when things go bad?" Ty asked, a really good point. "How long do we wait?"

"As long as we can." Daryl told him, being bluntly honest. If people weren't on that bus, there'd come a time we'd have to leave without them. It's just how it goes.

Turning around, I crouched down in front of Aly, placing my hands on her arms as I rubbed them to help calm her. "Sweety I need you to go inside and get your to-go bag. You remember that one?"

There was a bag in Aly's room she couldn't open, couldn't take anything out of, until I said. It was for circumstances like this. If we had to get out of here in a hurry. I needed to know that she would have clothes, and things if we were forced to be back out on the road.

She nodded, now holding on to Houdini's collar as he stood next to her protectively. "The purple one with clothes in it."

I smiled, though it was more forced than anything. "That's right. The purple one. I need you to go get it, and go to the bus okay? You sit at the front with Houdini. You sit where you can see the bus door okay?"

She nodded once more before rushing off towards the cell block. Houdini was right beside her, not bothered by her hand that was firmly grasping his collar.

I watched her go with a heavy heart.

You can wish and pray all you want. You can hope and beg till time runs out. But the only thing you can really depend on, is yourself. I had no idea what was about to happen. I had no idea what the Governor wanted. I had no idea if any of us would survive. And it pained me. To think that if things go bad, that I won't be on that bus with Aly. Or Carl. Or Judith. Or dad. Or Daryl. The thought of being left behind, to leave everyone, it made me sick. But there was no way for me to see how this was going to end. All I could do was follow the plan and fight to stay alive.

"Vic."

I looked up, seeing Daryl stand by me, looking out at the field to my dad as he held a gun out to me. I stood, taking it from him, ready to do whatever it took.

He turned to me then, looking me right in the eyes. "You shoot to kill, or you run for the bus. Don't stop. Don't wait. Don't look back. You just keep movin'. You understand?"

"Daryl-"

He grabbed my good shoulder, looking at me with a hard stare. "Understand?"

"Yes."

He nodded, his eyes softening. With that he turned to the fence, getting into position for when the time came to fight. I did the same, standing next to Maggie, gun aimed at the Governor and his people. My finger on the trigger, ready to shoot.

**RPOV**

I came to a stop by the fence, looking right at the Governor. "Let them go right now. I'll stay down here. Talk as long as you want. But you let them go. You got a tank. You don't need hostages."

"I do." he gave a short nod. " This is just to show you I'm serious. Not to blast a hole in our new home. You and your people, you have till sundown to get out of here, or they die." he said as he gestured to Hershel and Michonne.

Shaking my head, I tried to convince them all not to do this. "Doesn't have to go down this way."

"I got more people, more firepower." he paused, trying to get his point across. "We need this prison." shrugging he went on. "There it is. It's not about the past. It's about right now."

I wouldn't give in, not that easily. This place was home, for my people, myself, and more importantly my kids. Living here gave us a future. A place where Judith could grow up. Carl could learn how to take over, become the next leader. Vickie and Daryl could have their own family. This was home. I wasn't giving it up.

"There are children here. Some of them are sick. They won't- They won't survive."

"I have a tank, and I'm letting you walk away from here." he shrugged again as if their lives meant nothing compared to his people. "What else is there to talk about?"

I looked to the ground, shifting on the spot as I tried to think of a way, anyway, to save us all. He may have more fire power, but that didn't mean we'd just go down without taking some of his people with us. We'd all lose in the end.

"I could shoot you all. You'd all shoot back. I know that." he noted as if he had the same train of thought as me. "But we'll win and you'll be dead. All of you. It doesn't have to be like that. Like I said, it's your choice."

We all turned at the sound of snarls. Two walkers shuffled along, moving towards the Governor's vehicles. He pulled out his gun, shooting them right then and there without worrying about the sound of the shoots as they echoed around us.

"Noise will only draw more of them over." he put his gun away, shrugging like he couldn't care less. "The longer you wait, the harder it will be for you to get out of here. You got, maybe, about an hour of sunlight left. I suggest you start packing. "

I looked to Hershel. I had no idea how I was supposed to fix this, to make everything right. Hershel was always the one who helped me make the right decision, he always knew what the right step was. So as I looked to him with questioning eyes I waited, seeing him nod.

I knew then what I had to do. I had no other choice. It was the only way to keep us all alive.

"The longer you wait, the harder it's gonna be for you to get out of here." he repeated.

It was now or never, I had to fix this before his patience ran out. "We can all..." I sighed, struggling with the idea. "We can all live together. There's enough room for all of us." I knew it was hard, heck the idea sounded crazy to me, but if I wanted to keep my family alive and safe, this was the only we could do.

"More than enough. But I don't think my family would sleep well knowing you were under the same room."

My family would feel the same, but at least they'd be alive. "We'd live in different cell blocks. We'd never have to see each other till we're all ready."

"It could work." Hershel looked over his shoulder to talk to the Governor. "You know it could."

"It could of. But it can't. Not after Woodbury. Not after Andrea."

"Look, I'm not saying it's gonna be easy. Fact is, it's gonna be a hell of a lot harder than standing here shooting at each other." I gestured to everyone surrounding the Governor. "But I don't think we have a choice."

"We don't. You do."

"We're not leaving." I stood my ground, not playing games, not giving up. "You try and force us, we'll fight back. Like you said, the gunshots will just bring more of them out. They'll take down the fences. Without the fences, this place is worthless. Now, we can all live in the prison or none of us can."

He jumped off tank, his patience gone, replaced by anger and frustration. Grabbing michonne's sword from one of his people, he moved to stand by Herhsel. Pressing the sward to Hershel's neck, grabbing his hair, he looked to me, testing me to see if I'd keep this up.

Panic set in. I was running out of time now. There was nothing that would stop him from killing Hershel right here and now.

"You in the ponytails." I pointed to one of his people, a girl around Vickie's age who looked scared and troubled- like she was unsure of all of this. "Is this what you want? Is this what any of you want?"

"What we want is what you got. Period." the guy in the tank shrugged. "Time for you to leave, asshole."

Ignoring him I pointed to the Governor, trying to convince his people to think twice about this. "Look, I fought him before. And after, we took in his old friends, they've become leaders in what we have here. Now, you put down your weapons, walk through those gated, you're one of us.

"We let go of all of it. And nobody dies. Everyone who is alive right now, everyone who's made it this far, we've all done the worst kinds of things just to stay alive. But we can still come back. We're not too far gone. We get to come back. I know we all can change."

Hershel nodded to me, a proud gleam in his eyes.

I watched as the Governor moved the sword away from Hershel's neck. They all looked as if my words had gotten through to them, that maybe, just maybe, they'd put their weapons down and join us.

The Governor opened his mouth, speaking one word that echoed through my mind, over and over, tormenting me.

"Liar."

It was like slow motion, the sword swiped through air. The blade sliced through Hershel's neck, his head hanging by what was left. He fell to the ground, blood soaking through his shirt as he laid there.

When time sped up I felt everything in me flare up with pain and anger. He killed Hershel. He made his move, and it was wrong. They were all going to die.

"No!"

**  
**

**Chapter 11**

**Run**

**VPOV**

I froze as the blade sliced through Hershel's neck.

I was vaguely aware of the chaos that followed. Maggie and Beth screaming and crying next to me. Dad yelling before taking the first shot. Daryl and Carl following suit, shooting all of them down there. While the Governor's people shot back at us. Maggie, in a fit of rage and pain, lifted her gun, her bullets flying out of her gun rapidly as she shot at them all.

Hershel was dead. Gone. A man I had adored and looked up to, for his wisdom, kindness, and understanding of so many things in the world. He had been like a grandfather to me. Cared for me, for my family, for everyone. He had been the saint we all needed in a world full of demons and monsters.

My heart felt like it had stopped in my chest as I stood there, looking out to the field, watching as he fell to the ground, trying to crawl away, barely still alive. It was cruel, and horrible, and sick.

It wasn't until I saw my dad fall that everything came rushing back to me.

Seeing my dad fall, pulling himself along the ground to use the bus as cover, I felt my body snap into action. My dad was in danger and he needed help. So I lifted my gun, shooting as fast as I could, while still aiming. There was no use in going crazy with anger, I'd let myself feel later. Right now I needed to be in control, or I could end up dying too.

Beth still stood there, grasping the fence, crying.

I moved to her, placing a hand on her back gently. "Beth you gotta shoot."

"He's dead! They killed him!" she cried.

"I know." I spoke gently, trying to get through to her. "But you need to shoot. Or they'll come in here and they'll kill us all."

She nodded, still crying as she lifted her gun. As soon as she started shooting, I lifted my gun once more, shooting back at them just like everyone around me.

It didn't take long until my shoulder started aching as the gun vibrated my arm. I knew there was a chance my stitches were ripped open, but I couldn't stop no matter how much it hurt. My pain was nothing compared to what we'll all be feeling if we don't stop these people now.

"Holy shit." my eyes went wide as soon as the tank started moving. I knew what that meant, I knew what was going to happen next; and it wasn't good.

Maggie and Beth moved, heading over to another spot to get better aim as the Governor's people continued to move forward into the field. Some were in cars, driving around the field, to spread out, in order to get us easier. The more they spread, the harder it was for us to kill them all.

"Vic!"

Still shooting, I moved to my side until I was next to Daryl. The two of us stayed there, shooting, until we had to move, or we'd get hit.

My gun clicked, out of ammo. "I'm out." I dropped my gun, looking over to the bus.

"Go." he told me, still shooting. "Go!"

I shook my head, pulling out my hand gun. "No! I'm not leaving you!"

He pushed my hands down, stopping me from shooting. Grabbing on to my arm as we hid behind empty filing cabinets that ran along the fence, he looked at me with determination. "Go. Get Aly. Get to the bus."

"But-"

"Go!"

I searched his eyes, feeling myself shake as I finally realized how this was going to end... "I love you." my voice trembled as I tried not to cry.

"I'll find you. I promise." he sounded so sure, like he knew there was nothing that could stop him. "Now go!"

Nodding I looked at him one last time before making a run for it, heading for the bus.

**RPOV**

I threw myself at the Governor as he went to walk past the bus. His people kept going, moving forward, not noticing as we fell the the ground, grunting. I didn't waste time, punching his face again and again, trying to keep the upper hand.

My anger, worry, panic and instincts were taking over. He killed Hershel, my friend. He was threatening to kill my family, my people. We were out numbered by his men and firepower. I had do stop him before it was too late.

But he managed to throw me off him before getting up. He pushed me against bus, punching my side a few times before his fist collided with my face.

Before he could hit again, I moved fast, I punching his face to distract him. Moving quickly I turned the tables so he was now pressed against the bus as I punched his face again.

He grabbed my hand, stopping me from hitting him once more as he headbutted me right on the nose. I fell to ground, grunting as my face bled. Taking the advantage, he kicked my side, getting to his knees before punching my face over and over again. I lost count on how many times his fist smashed against my throbbing face, the pain becoming so unbearable, my eyes swelling it was getting hard to see.

I suddenly thought, maybe I wasn't going to win...

**VPOV**

I jumped on the bus, looking around at all the faces, trying to find Houdini and Aly. As I moved down the isle, looking form person to person, my worry just increased when I didn't find her.

"Aly!?" I called, turning to the nearest person. "Have you seen Aly?" but they just shook there head.

Heart beating, eyes wide, I turned and ran for the exit. I jumped out of the bus, moving as fast as I could, running for the prison. There was no way in hell I would leave without her. I couldn't do that to her.

I pushed past the people, rushing into the prison, heading for the cell block. "Aly!" I called frantically. "Aly!?"

I ran up the stairs, rushing to her room. But there was no sign of her or Houdini. I ran to my room, but they weren't in there either.

"Aly?" I yelled, rushing out of the cell, running down the stairs. "Aly!?"

I had a choice, go back outside and hope she's in the bus now, or head into the tombs.

I knew she liked to play hide and seek in the tombs, now that we had them free of walkers. She would run around with Houdini all day, her laughs echoing off the walls, filling the place with cheerful sounds.

If she was scared because of the people outside, she would have run into the tombs. No stranger would know them as good as we did, so she'd feel safe hiding in there.

Without a second thought I turned for them, running into the dark halls without a light, and with only Daryl's knife to protect me.

**RPOV**

We were both tiring out, but he still had the upper hand, kneeling over me, punching me in the face over and over. I just laid there, coughing and wheezing, everything getting harder and harder. Seeing, breathing, fighting.

He grabbed my throat, squeezing as he choked me. I tried to push him away, shoving at his chest. But he was too strong.

Looking up at him, in his eyes as he choked the life out of me, I could see just how evil he was. The monster I fought not to become. I knew there were times I was like him, the same look in my eyes. It was why I had given my gun up and turned to farming. I didn't want to be like that, like him.

A blade suddenly pushed through him, slicing through his chest. Groaning his hands let go of my neck as he gasped for air, only to fall to the ground.

I rolled over, coughing and gasping, the air burning my lungs as I took as much of it in as I could. Everything hurt. I could hardly see through my swollen, battered eyes. My ribs throbbed, more than one probably broken. My jaw, mouth, teeth, cheeks, all ached. My shot leg added to it all, the worst, burning, throbbing, and aching with continuous pain.

But I still had to get up, to get to my family.

I looked up at Michonne, seeing her bend down to help me up. I gladly accepted her help, trying to get to my feet without pulling her down with me.

"Carl? Vickie? Where's my kids?" I tried to speak, but my voice come out coarse and hard, speaking burning my throat.

"I don't know." she answered honestly.

Gasping I limped away, heading towards the prison. I needed to find my kids. To make sure they were okay. I had to find them.

**VPOV**

"Aly?" I called as I moved through the tombs blindly. Without a light I wasn't sure which way I was going but as long as I found them, everything would be okay.

The sound of a bark echoing off the walls, just up ahead, had me stop for a moment.  _Houdini._  Wherever he was, Aly would be right there with him. I ran. I ran as fast as I could, following the sound of Houdini's barks.

"Victoria!"I heard someone call, a male voice. "Vickie!"

I rounded a corner, the light of a torch shinning in my eyes. Lifting my hand to block it, I squinted as I looked towards the light. I could see silhouette of two people, a guy and little girl, a dog standing next to them.

"Aly?"

The dog ran towards me, as the little girl followed. I stumbled back as Houdini jumped up, licking my face, Aly grabbing on to my legs, squeezing them tightly.

"Down, boy. Down." I told Houdini before pulling Aly back, getting to my knees in front of her. Holding her shoulders I looked her in the eyes. "Why didn't you go to the bus like I told you?"

Shaking her head she sobbed. "I had to get my toys. I didn't want to leave them. But then there were loud bangs. I was scared. So I ran."

I pulled her to my chest, holding her to me as I stood. "It's okay. It's okay. I got you now."

"I found them." looking up I could now see the guy. It was Zach. "She was running through the tombs. I found them."

"Thank you." I nodded, holding Aly to me.

He turned the light down the hall, a way neither of us had come from. "There should be an exit down there that leads straight to where the bus is." he told us.

"Okay." I shifted Aly as she held on to me, getting ready to move. "Let's go. Come on, boy." I called Houdini as we started to rush down the hall as fast as we could.

Moving through the tombs, the building shaking every time the tank shot at it, we ran as fast as I could. Zach and I still weren't healed properly from being sick which slowed us down. That and with my shoulder, holding Aly, I was in a lot of pain. But we fought through it.

I could see the door, just a few steps away now, and it was like a was filled with relief.  _We were going to be okay. Everyone will be on the bus. We'll get out of this. We'll be okay._

Zach pushed the door open with a grunt, the sun blinding us for a moment as we emerged from the darkness. Our eyes adjusted to the light fast, but when we could finally see, it broke my heart.

The bus drove off, leaving us behind.

"What do we do now?" Zach asked, sounding as panicked as I felt.

Grabbing his arm, I pulled him back inside as shots flew our way. "We improvise."

**DPOV**

I shot at the walkers, the people all down. There was just the tank left, and I had one grenade to go with that one person.

Grabbing the grenade I pulled the pin out with my mouth as I rushed towards the front of the tank. I threw it into the trunk, listening as it rattled against metal.

"Grenade!" I heard the guy inside yell before he scrambled out, falling to the ground.

The tank exploded from the inside, fire and smoke coming out of the shoot.

I stood there, aiming me crossbow at the last guy, waiting for him to turn, to see me before I killed him. I wanted him to know the face of the person who put him down. No one comes in to my home, shoots up my people, and tries to kill me. I wanted him to know the pain, to feel it through his bones and veins. I wanted him to suffer.

He stood up, looking at the tank as it burn internally. Sighing he turned, but froze at the sight of me and my crossbow as it was aimed at his face.

I took a step forward, and without thinking or feeling, shot him.

"I was trying to find the kids to get them on the bus." Beth told me as she run up to me from nowhere.

I looked around, seeing the place filling with more and more walkers, everything on fire and ruined.

There was a part of me that thought about running inside, to make sure Vic wasn't here. But I knew, I knew she'd be on the bus. I told her to go on the bus and so that's what she would have done. Right?

Either way, I'd find her. I knew I would.

Turning back to Beth I looked down at her panicked face. "We got to go, Beth. We got to go." I told her, and with that we ran off; not looking back once.

**RPOV**

I walked up the hill, heading for the prison, trying to find any sign of life, any sign of my kids. I tripped, groaning in pain at my throbbing leg. But I couldn't let it stop me. If I stop now, I'd die. So I pulled myself up and walked around tank.

"Carl! Vickie!" I called desperately. "Carl! Vickie?"

I froze at the sound of snarls, two walkers seeing me as they rounded the tank.

But before they could get me, two shots went off. The walkers fell to the ground, revealing, Carl who stood behind them, gun raised..

Sobbing with relief at the sight of my son, moved to him, limping as I did. When we stood in front of each other, I grabbed him. throwing my good arm around him in a hug.

Pulling back, I looked down at him. "Judith. Vickie. Where are they?"

He shook his head. "I don't know." he looked so lost, so worried and so scared. It broke my heart.

We couldn't stay here any longer. We had to find the girls and get out, now. Standing up as straight as I could, I looked around before we both started moving, keeping an eye out for Vickie or Judith.

I stopped, noticing the baby carrier lying on the floor. We started heading towards it with caution. The idea that it had been dropped only brought to things to mind. Someone grabbed her and took her... or someone was killed, and left her.

We stepped up to it, seeing it empty, soaked with blood.

I shook my head, sobbing. "No. No." I cried. My baby girl was gone. She's dead.

The sound of a walker snarling had Carl let go of me, moving to kill it. I watched him lift his gun, shooting the walker until it fell to the ground.

He kept shooting at it as he cried, his body shaking. He gun clicked, the rounds empty.

"Carl!" I limped over, grabbing him. "Carl!"

He sobbed in my arms, dropping the gun as I held him.

"We got to go. We got to go." I pulled him up, looking around at the ruins that had once been home. "This is over."

With the help of Carl's arm around me, we left as quickly as we could, trying to steer clear of stracting any of the walkers that were piling into the grounds.

**VPOV**

I told Zach he had five minutes. We were to grab anything we might need, making sure we can carry it, before meeting downstairs. Everyone was gone, on the bus; and if they weren't on the bus they would have left by now as well. So we had to fend for ourselves. Just until we caught up to everyone else.

I placed Aly down on my bed as I quickly grabbed whatever I thought we need, shoving it all into a backpack. Clothes, bullets, two blankets, three water bottles, a couple snack bars, a few tins of food. My eyes landed on my hair brush that sat on the counter. Daryl had found that for me back on the high way, before the farm. I picked that up too, stashing it in the bag.

I grabbed Daryl's poncho, handing it to Aly for her to wear. I grabbed one of his jackets, pulling it on myself. I didn't care if it was hot out now, it'll be cold once the sun was down, which wouldn't be long now.

"Vickie?" Aly pulled the poncho on.

"Mm." I answered, shoving everything into the bag.

"Is Daryl dead?"

I turned around, getting to my knees. "Oh, no honey. No. Daryl's not dead. He's just on the bus. But we'll find him, okay?" I smiled at her as I stroked her hair away from her face. "Everything's gonna be okay."

She nodded slowly, looking down at Houdini as she pet him.

"Stay here. I'm gonna go grab your bag." I stood up, moving to the door.

But she got up anyway, following me as I rushed into her room, grabbing her already packed bag. When I turned to leave, I stopped, seeing her try to shove her stuffed toys into another bag.

"Sweety." I crouched down next to her. "Sweety we can't take them."

"But they'll be alone. I can't leave them."

I looked to the small pile of stuffed toys she had collected. We had all grabbed at least one, whenever we were on a run. Dad, Daryl, Maggie, Glenn, Sasha, Michonne, Carol. I knew- just like when I was a little girl- Aly saw the toys as family, letting go of them was hard. But we couldn't take them with us.

"Just one." I told her.

"Two?"

Looking at her as she gazed up at me with wide, scared eyes, I sighed. "Fine. You can take two, but that's it." I compromised, running out of time.

It didn't take her long to choice. She grabbed Pinky, a stuffed brown dog with a pink nose that she had since before the world turned. Then she grabbed the first toy Daryl and I had brought back for her. It was a a dear, with floppy legs, and soft beautiful brown fur.

"Pinky and Daryl the Deer." she nodded before turning to the door.

Smiling sadly I followed her, Houdini right behind us. We headed down the stairs, Aly moving to stand by the gate while I headed towards Zach's room.

"Ready?" I asked as I pulled the curtain back.

He nodded, grabbing his bag and pulling it over his shoulder. "Let's go."

We turned and moved to Aly. I gave handed her bag to her so she could put it on, while I put mine on. Once she was done, I bent down and picked her up, holding her securely.

"Okay, open it." I told Zach.

He opened the door.

There were no more people shooting or running around. Everyone was gone. But there were plenty of walkers. So we had to move fast.

"Follow me." I called before making a run for it.

I had no idea where we were going or what we were going to do. All I knew was that we couldn't stop and we couldn't hesitate.

**CPOV**

My arm around dad's back we moved as fast as we could, heading into the woods. He was badly injured, more than just the surface. It was why we were moving so slow.

But not the only reason. I just felt too numb to move any faster. Judith and Vickie were gone. I don't know if Vickie had gotten away, I knew she told Aly to get on the bus and I just hoped she was on there with her, but chances of us seeing her again were slim. She mays well be dead...

"Don't look back, Carl. Just keep walking." dad told me, voice strained and coarse.

But I couldn't help myself. I looked over my shoulder one last time, seeing what once had been home, a place we could live and have a future, was now filled with walkers and burning to the ground.

Once again, we were left to roam to streets and woods, fighting to survive the harsh world...

**  
**

**Chapter 12**

**Father and Son**

**CPOV**

I was pissed, dad knew it. I mean, I wasn't hiding it from him or anything. I was making it pretty clear, especially as I walked ahead of him, not even bothering to slow down. I mean sure he was limping and obviously in pain, but it's not like he's dead... like Vickie and Judith.

"Carl, slow down." he called, as if reading my thoughts, realizing I wouldn't wait. But I just ignored him, walking along the dirt path. "Carl, stop!" he yelled, voice hoarse and rough.

I stopped, not because he said to but because I didn't want to have to hear him tell me to wait. It wasn't my fault he was beat up. It wasn't my fault we were out on the road again. It wasn't my fault everyone was dead, or gone. It was his.

"We need to stay together. We got to find a place, food, supplies." he reached me, stopping as he breathed heavily, trembling. "Hey." he placed his hand on my shoulder. "We're gonna be-"

I turned to him, glaring at him with hate and blame. He stopped talking then, letting me go. So I turned back and just kept going. Once again, not waiting for him to catch up.

 

...

 

We came across a bar, motorbikes scattered all around the parking lot. They remind me of Daryl which then reminded me of Vickie. And now I was thinking about both my sisters...

I pushed through it. I couldn't let myself cry over it. Not now. We were in danger, out in the open. So the main priority was to get food, supplies and find a place to stay. Especially since it was going to be dark soon. But I didn't need my dad to tell me that, I already knew.

I stopped at the door and waited for dad. It took a moment, but he came o stand with me, without saying a word. He just opened the screen door, getting ready to open the next door and head inside. I lifted my gun, preparing myself to follow him in.

He turned to me, gesturing for me to stay. "Wait outside, okay? Keep watch."

I lowered my gun, looking at him with disbelief. "You keep watch. You can barely stand. I'm not gonna let you go in there alone."

"Excuse me?"

"We've done this before. I'm gonna help you clear it. You should just let me do it myself." I told him as I raised my gun again.

Looking away from him I waited for the door to open, so we could get this over and done with. It's not lie we had time to stand around. Yet he didn't move, just stood there staring at me. I looked back up at him, making sure he knew I was waiting, getting impatient.

He turned away then, shifting on the spot, holding his side. His hand lifted, resting on the door knob. "Let's go." he pushed the door open.

We moved fast, moving inside. The door slammed against the wall as we each moved to a different side of the bar, clearing the place. I didn't wait for him to give me directions, I didn't need him once I knew my end was clear, I turned towards him, walking past and into the next room.

"Kitchen's clear."

The door creaked as I entered the little diner attached to the bar. Tables and chairs were staked up on the other end blocking off the next part. It didn't take long for the walker behind them to show it's self, snarling and moaning. But unfortunately there was food on the shelf on the other side, with the walker.

"That might be all that's left." dad noted as we watched the walker

I raised my gun. "I can get it from here."

"No, it's weak." he told me as he grabbed an axe off one of the tables that weren't staked. "I'll draw it out."

I looked down at the table he'd grabbed the axe from, seeing a note lying there. It read, ' _Please do what I couldn't- Joe Jr_ '. I looked up at the walker, putting the pieces together and figuring that the walker must be Joe Jr...

"Stay back."

I shook my head as I put the note down. I wasn't going to argue with dad, I couldn't be bothered. We were both stubborn and I just wanted this done.

He grabbed one of the stacked chair, pulling it out which made all of it fall and scatter. The walker moved out from behind the chairs, stretching his arms out as he reached forward. Dad swung the axe in the air, hitting the walker's head, but not the brain. The axe got caught, and as much as dad tugged and pulled he couldn't get it out.

"Damn it." dad struggled with axe. He looked to me, seeing that I now had my gun raised. "Don't."

But I didn't listen, not this time. I shot walker, saving dad from getting bit or hurt more.

"I said not to." he spun around, frowning at me.

"You couldn't do it with the axe."

"I had it." he was panting, which made his attempts at sounding fine, weak and useless. "Every bullet counts. Would've needed that one later." he turned away from me, leaning over the walker. "See what you can find, then lets move on." he finally pulled the axe out.

I moved to the shelf, not caring what he did. He could go look and do whatever he wanted I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I grabbed whatever was still okay, some bags of corn chips and a couple jars of pickles.

He came back then. "Kitchen wasn't empty after all." he said, stashing a packet of something and two water bottles into a bag. "My haul. You?"

I carried the things over, shoving them in bag as I looked up at him blankly. "I win."

 

...

 

We were walking again, only this time we had stuck to the roads, instead of the woods. The way we'd be able to find somewhere to crsh for the night. It didn't take us long to find a little neighbourhood. It actually reminded me of our old street...

Moving down the street, towards houses, I once again stayed ahead as he shuffled and limped behind.

"Hey."

I ignored him.

"Hey."

I ignored him again.

"Hey."

I stopped.

I was pissed off at him, and he was hurt, but he was still my dad. So I could only get away with so much. Yeah, I could handle myself, I could probably take care of him too. But for now, I had to listen, unless I wanted to listen to a speech about how he's my dad and he's the boss.

I turned to him and waited as he slowly came to stand next to me.

"That one's as good as any." he gestured to the house we stood by.

We headed over toe the front door, getting into formation. He didn't bother trying to get me to stay outside this time. After the bar, I guess he realised I wouldn't listen anyway. So we stood by the door, guns ready. He pushed the door open and we walked in, moving fast like last time, moving around to clear the place.

"Carl."

I had moved on without him, going to check the rest of the house. Of course he didn't like that idea.

"I got it." I told him over my shoulder. "All the doors down here are open." I went to continue checking the room.

"Just stop!"

I did as he said, lowering my gun. Turning around, I stared at him, silently challenging him.

I slammed my hand against wall. "Hey, asshole!" I hit the wall again. "Hey, shitface!" and again. "Hey-"

"Watch you mouth!"

"Are you kidding me?" I couldn't belive him. I'm pretty sure cursing should have been the last thing he scolded me for. "If there's one of them down there, they would have come out." Shaking my head, I sighed before moving on, heading upstairs to check those rooms.

I came to a bedroom with green walls and a fireplace. It obviously teenager's room, and a boy's by the looks if it. With shoes, and clothes, and all kinds of stuff lying around everywhere. There were books on the shelve, and games piled together. Posters hung on the walls and windows. I moved to t.v, smiling to myself as I checked out the titles of all the games that sat next to it. It was so cool.

I remembered when I had walked into Vickie's room when she was a teenager, seeing her t.v and game consoles. She was one of those girls that played games occasionally, and was really good at it. I guess that was because I was always asking her to play multiplayer with me.

I caught my reflection in the T.V screen, and I froze. Vickie was gone, I shouldn't be thinking about her.

Sighing, my hand fell as I moved to the side of the t.v. I pushed the games off, pulling out a cord from the back. I wound it around my hand before turning around and headed back downstairs to the front door.

Using the cord, I tied the front door closed by looping the cord around the door knob and a metal thing that was screwed into the wall that looked to be something you'd use to keep the curtains open, or something. I don't know. As I finished tying the knot, dad started to move couch, to push against door.

Rolling my eyes I turned to him "I tied the door shut."

"We don't need to take any chances."

"You don't think it's gonna hold?"

"Carl."

"It's a strong knot. Clove hitch.  _Shane_  taught me. Remember him?" I looked him dead in the eyes, purposefully trying to fight a nerve. I remember that night as if it were only yesterday.

He nodded stiffly. "Yeah, I remember him. I remember him everyday. There something else you want to say to me?"

With that, I moved to help him push couch, seeing as he wasn't going to give up. Once it was pressed against the door, we turned it over so it sat up right.

Wheezing and panting, he took his holster off, sitting down on the couch. "This'll have to do for the night." he grabbed one of the bags of corn chips, handing it over to me.

"You gonna have some?"

"You should eat."

Sighing I turned away from them, grabbing the blanket off the couch. "We should save it." I grabbed one of the couch cushions as well before moving away to set up my own bed, letting him sleep on the couch.

I could hear the bag rustle as he opened it, before getting up and moving towards me. "Hey." he offered me the open chip bag.

"I don't want any."

"Eat it." he dropped the bag on floor by my bed. "Now." he walked away, heading upstairs for whatever reason, I didn't care.

I just looked down at the food, bending forward to pick it up. I took it to the kitchen, placing it on the table for tomorrow or some other time, before turning back to the living room so I could go to bed and finally get some rest.

 

...

 

I woke up, sighing as I rolled over. Groaning I rubbed at my eyes to get rid of the sleep and wake up more. I knew we had a big day ahead, it always was a big day when you had no fences to hide behind- I remembered that...

Sitting up I looked over at dad. He was still asleep, lying on his back on the couch, one leg and one arm hanging off. I wasn't going to try to wake him, for two reasons. One, I knew he needed the rest, after the beating he got yesterday. And two, I didn't want him to wake up, it was that simple. So I got up, grabbed my gun and moved over to the bag of food, pulling out some cereal. Looking at dad one last time I turned around and headed to the kitchen.

I found some bowls putting them all on the table before placing one in front of me as I sat down. Pouring some of the cereal into the bowl, just enough to keep me going, I made sure there'd still be plenty left. With that I put cereal down, but then looked at bowls, thinking for a minute. With a sigh I grabbed another and poured cereal into that one two, just incase dad woke up and wanted to eat.

Grabbing my breakfast I headed upstairs, moving into the teens room. I grabbed one of the books and move to the bed where it sat under the windows. Getting comfortable I placed the bowl next to me and opened the book.

As I read the book I found myself getting lost in the words as I absentmindedly nibbled on the cereal. I had never been much of a reader before everything happened. Mum had... and Vickie read occasionally too...

I guess now that everything was harder, the world a dangerous place, things that seemed boring and lame were more interesting. Reading a book, playing a board game with friends or family, sitting down and just talking. All that 'stuff' meant a lot more now than it ever did back then.

I put the book down with a sigh. Thinking about the world before, and my family, I didn't want to read anymore. There were things that had to be done... and I was out of cereal anyway. So I got up, grabbed my bowl, and headed down stairs.

Once I was back downstairs, I looked over into the living room to see if dad had moved. He hadn't, and suddenly I was really starting to worry. I mean, how would I beable to tell if he wasn't in serious danger. The Governor really did give him a beating yesterday... He could have internal bleeding. Or a concussion... What if he was in a coma. What if he was dying?

_I'll wake him up. Everything will be fine._

I walked over to the couch, looking down at him. "Dad?" no response, not even a groan. "Dad?" I kicked his foot hoping that would stir him. But still nothing. So I moved closer, kneeling down by his side. "Dad, wake up." I put bowl down before grabbing his shoulders, shaking. "Wake up. Come on. Dad. Wake up!"

When he didn't move, or make a sound then, that's when really I started to worry...

**  
**

**Chapter 13**

**Son**

**CPOV**

I kept shaking dad's shoulder. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

A thud on the door had me freeze as the sounds of walkers snarling on the other side started.

I got to my feet, backing u as the walkers kept pushing against he door, snarling and moaning. My yelling had obviously caught their attention, and chances of them just wlaking off now were very slim. In fact they'd probably find a way in- they always do.

So I headed outside door, making sure to be careful. I looked around, checking for any other walkers, before closing the door behind me. I made me way around to the front of house, with my gun at the ready.

There were two walkers, a male and female, clawing at the door.

Saying as quiet as possible, I walked around to the front pathof the house, looking around for any danger as I did so. Once I was sure the coast was clear I looked back to the two walkers "Hey you!" I called, catching their attention. "Fresh meat right here. Come and get it. " nodding to them as they started for me, I backed up, leading them away from the house.

They kept following, moving slowly, reaching out to try and grab me. But I made sure to stay at least two steps away form them, carefully moving so I wouldn't fall or trip on anything.

"Let's take a walk. Keep up." I looked back for a moment as I reached the road. "That's it."

I kept going, not stopping until I was sure we were far away enough from the house. Walking along the road, moving backwards, I watched the walkers carefully.

"Keep coming. Very good. Come on, keep coming. Come on. Right here, look at me. There you go. Come on. That's it. Just a little further."

I was off the road now, following a dirt path to the back of another house.

"Come on." I coaxed them, though I knew there was no need, they keep following.

The sound of snarls suddenly comeing from behind had me turn around, only to see another walker.

"Oh, shit."

I grabbed the new walker as it grasped my arm, struggling against it to keep it's teeth away from me. The other two reached forwards, which had me ove back. But I didn't looked where I was going, and so I fell back, landing on my back.

I scrambled away, kick a walked in the face as he reached down for me. Another one then fell on to me snarling as she moved to bite me. I moved as fast as I could, lifting my gun and aiming before shooting her in the head.

The next walker then followed her steps, moving over me only to fall. With the weight of now two bodies it was harder to move, but I still managed to lift my gun, aiming it at it's head before shooting.

The last walker fell on top of the other two before I even had time to recover. If I thought it was a struggle before, now it was even harder. But I tired my hardest, motivated by the fact it's teeth were getting closer.

I went to shoot it, but it moved so I only got it's shoulder. I tried again, getting it's neck this time. Taking a quick breath I aimed one last time, pulling the trigger, and finally I hit my target.

I relaxed then, letting my head fall back, causing my hat to fall off. But I didn't care, I just wanted to catch my breath at that moment.

Looking back up at the three dead walkers that lie on top of me, my eyes landed on the maggots that were crawling out of one of the heads. They were droppping from the bullet wound, only to land on me.

I struggled underneath all the wieght, trying to wriggle my way out. I pushed at the bodies, using them to help get myself free. Grunting and strianing, I finally got out.

Geting to my feet, I stepped away from them, breathing deeply. But I couldn't stop my stomach fom churning, everyhting coming up as I hurled.

The after taste was always gross, of ourse, but it also left a sick feeling that ran all over you, like your body had been through something terrible- whic I guess it had but hoenstly things could be a lot worse than just some vomit and a few walkers.

Once I was done I looked back over at the walkers, grabbing my hat. I wiped my mouth ith my sleave, reaching down to grab gun. Once I had everything and I was standing up once more, I looked down at the dead walkers one last time.

"I win."

 

...

 

Walking back into the living room I pulled my jacket off, lying it on the couch. Dad still hadn't moved, but I wasn't going to worry. After dealling with hose walkers, I've decided not to stress about it and just let him sleep.

But that didn't mean I wasn't going to talk to him- to give him a piece of my mind.

"I killed three walkers. They were at the door. They were gonna get in, but I lured them away. I killed them." I sighed. If only he knew what I was saying, so he'd know I can do things on my own. "I saved you. I saved you.

"I didn't forget while you had us playing farmer. I still know how to survive. Lucky for us." I mumbled, shaking my head at his motionless body. "I don't need you any more." stepping forward I leaned over him, feeling myself get worked up. "I don't need you to protect me anymore. I can take care of myself.

"You probably can't even protect me anyways. You couldn't protect Judith. You couldn't protect Vickie. You couldn't protect-" I stopped myself, taking a deep breath to calm before going on. "Hershel or Glenn or Maggie. Michonne, Daryl, or mum.

"You just wanted to plant vegetables. You just wanted to hide. He knew where we were and you didn't care! You just hid behind those fences and waited for-"

We all knew the Governor would come back. that's why Michonne went out there al the time. Vickie and Daryl did too at first, but one by one everyone gave up. But it wasn't there fault. They weren't the ones standing by that fance  _talking_!

"They're all gone now. Because of you! They counted on you! You were their leader!"

It didn't matter if any of them did get out; if any survived. We'll never see them again. They're out there on their own like us... Vickie. I missed her the most. But she was my sister, so of course I did. Judith may be gone, but I had faith that Vickie at least got out of there. Even if I never saw her again, she's survived before she can do it again.

I shook my head, getting to the ground. Pulling my legs up to my chest, hugging my knees with my head down, I sighed. "But now, you're nothing."

I knew I couldn't just sit there. I had to do something. Look in the houses for food, supplies. So I lifted my head, wiping my nose on my sleave as I looked up. I turned around, emptying the food bag and getting up.

Before I left, I stopped, looking awy from him, feeling so much hate and anger.

"I'd be fine if you died."

 

...

 

I picked the house at random. Out of all of them on the street, this one just looked like a goodenough choice. So, I grabbed a solar lamp out of the garden, to use the spike for anything I might need it for, and walked up to the door.

I tried knocking it down, throwing myself aainst it like dad does... but it didn't budge. So instead, I used the solar lamp, jamming the spike between the door and frame, pushing it in further and further as I pressed my body against the door until it finally opened.

I cleared the downstairs, making my way to the kitchen, and turns out I picked a good house to raid. In the cupboards I found a few cans of beans and corn, some crackers, and on top of the cupcoard, out of reachand hiding... a huge tin of chocolate pudding.

I moved a cahir over, climbing up, on to the counter and grabbed the pudding. Yeah, I wasn't sharing this.

Before I could dig in though, I had to check up stairs. There could be anything up there. Medicine, matches, torches, knives, bullets.

I started to make my way up, moving carefully and as quietly as possible. I checked the first room, looking through the door for any signs of walkers first. But it was clear- though I paused at the sight of a pet bird lying dead on the ground.

I moved to the next room, a kid's bed room, looking in for walkers before closing the door and moving on once more. I reached the last room, slowly and carefully turning the door handle, ready to open it.

A walker pushed against the door, snarling at me as he tried to squeeze out of the small opening. I tired to push the door closed again, but his arms were in the way, keeping it from closing. I managed to break his arm while pushing, but that did nothing.

Stepping back, giving up on the door, I lifted my gun. I was just ging to kill him and get it over and done with.

But with my heart racing as I panicked, I didn't pay attention to where I was moving. I tripped over some books that were lying on the ground, causing me to fall on my back as the walker moved towards me.

As I fell, my finger pulled on the trigger by accidnet, two shots going off.

I aimed again, taking a shot and getting the walker's head. But I missed the brain, and was now out of bullets. The waker fell to the ground, crawling towards me, grabbing my foot.

Kicking at him I managed to get free, getting to my feet and rushing into the kid's room. I grabbed the door, slamming it closed, but it wouldn't shut. When I had fallen over, the ;pile of book had tummbled, and were now in the way.

I tried kicking them away but it was no use. I turned on my heels, running to the window to open it and climb out. I managed to get it up a little, but not enough for me to get out.

The walker came into the room, moving towards me, his snarls getting louder and louder.

"Come on." I grunted, trying to open the window. But it was too late, I had to act fast and get rid of the walker, fast.

I grabbed the lamp off the table, spinning around and smashing the walker in the head with it. But that did nothing. He simply grabbed on to me, pulling us both to the ground once more.

I went to crawl away towards the door, but was pulled back. He held nto my leg, his teeth getting closer and closer to biting me.

Pulling and struggling against him I used all my strength to get free. Eventually his grip moved to my shoe and I managed to get my foot out of it, scrambbling to the door as he took a moment to realize I was free.

That moment wasn't long. As I kicked the book out of the way he came for me again, getting closer and closer. But I managed to clear the walk way and slam the door closed, right before h could grab me.

Sighing I leaned against the door, catching my breath. The walker snarled on the other side, banging against the door as he tried to get out. But he was stuck now, the only way he'd be free is if someone else let him out.

I looked to the ground, seeing some chalk, and getting an idea.

If people knew hewas in there, they wouldn't open the door. So I grabbed the chalk, turned to face the door and started writing.

'WALKER INSIDE. GOT MY SHOE. DIDN'T GET ME. _'_

Looking at my handy work I gave a little chuckle before turning around and heading back downstairs. I thought I deserved to dig into that pudding now.

So I grabbed the tin, found a spoon and moved upstairs once more. I walked into one of the rooms that were clear, opened the window all the way and climbed on to the roof.

Letting my feet hang of the edge, looking around the neighbourhood, I dug in, enjoying the sweet taste of the smooth chocolatey goodness. All the while, the wlaker reached out of the small gap from the window, trying to get me, his snarls background noise. I dind't care though, I was too proud of myself and happy to be bothered by him.

 

...

 

After I had searched the house and ate all the pudding, I thought I should head back just incase dad was awake. I knew he'd be worried if he found out I wasn't there. But, turns out he was still asleep, still hadn't moved.

I had just sat down, leaning against the couch, staring off in the distance. I didn't realise I had falled asleep until I woke up.

It was dark, and cold, and my neck hurt from the way it had fallen back while I was asleep. But that didn't matter.

Looking over to my side I checked to see if dad had moved yet, but no he hadn't. I went to turn away, to go to my bed, but froze.

His hand that was hanging twitched as he started to wheeze...

Eyes wide I knew exactly what this meant. He hadn't been sleeping, I was a fool to think that. No, he had been dead all this time and now he was coming back.

I scrambled away, whimpering as I grabbed my gun, aiming it at him as I got ready to shoot. He may be my dad, but it was the right thing to do. He would want me to do it.

He moved over, reaching out. He fell of the couch with a groan. I shook, watching as he dragged himself agains the floor, moving towards me, the shadows covering his face. I guess that was a good thing. I mean seeing his face, as a monster, I think that would have ruined me.

He grabbed my foot, holding on to it as he moved closer.

My hands shook as I aimed my gun at him, my sobbing shaking my body. Tears ran down my face. I was frozen. I couldn't do it.

I dropped my gun, giving up. "I can't." my tears kept falling as my head fell back. I didn't want to see it happen, but I couldn't stop him. "I was wrong. Just do it."

"Carl."

I look up, eyes wide with shock. Walkers don't talk...

Wheezing he spoke again. "Don't go outside." he got to his knees but was still very weak. "Stay safe." he finished, falling on to his back.

_He's alive._

I moved over to him, lifting his head and placing it in my lap gently as I looked down at him. I held his face carefully, my tears still falling, but for a different reason now.

"I'm scared." I admitted as rested my forehead against his. "I'm scared." my sobbing continued. "I'm scared."

 

...

 

After last night, I had watched over dad, making sure he was okay. All my hate and anger had left me the moment I thought he was dead. It had been wrong of my to blame him the way I did. It wasn't his fault. He tried, and that's what matters.

It was morning now. We sat on the floor, leaning against the couch as we ate some breakfast.

"You shouldn't have risked it, going out there like that. It's dangerous."

I looked over at him. "I was careful."

He nodded. "It's good tha you founf more food."

"I found even more." I admitted. "But I... ate it."

"What was it?"

With a light chuckle, I answered. "112 ounces of pudding." we both gave a little laugh then.

We fell into silence, both of us looking down, dad at his water bottle and me at my bowl...

"I know we'll never get things back to the way they used to be."

"What?"

"I only clung to tha for you. For Judith. Vickie could take care of herself." he sighed. "But they're gone now." he was sad, just like me, and it pained me to see him like this. He turned to me. "And you, you're a man, Carl." he nodded again. "You're a man. I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be." I offered him a small smile.

We turned back to our breakfast. He had already finished his food, but was still sitting with me as I ate my cerial. It was nice. It had been awhile since e could sit like this. We were usually up working on the farm by now. That's the only time we really got to spend together; when we were working.

There was a knock at the door.

We both looked at each other as I dropped my spoon. Grabbing our guns dad got up, grunting as he id, before moving on to the couch. He looked through the peep hole, his body freezing for a moment.

Then he laughed- ike realy laughed- as he fell to the couch.

"What?" I asked, not getting it.

He just turned to me, smiling as best as he could with his injured face. "It's for you."

**  
**

**Chapter 14**

**Survival First**

**DPOV**

I stared down at the fire in front of me, bugs buzzing and chirping around us, the cool air hitting my bare arms. We hadn't had time to grab any supplies, which left us with what we had on our backs. But I didn't mind much, I probably wouldn't have even had the fre going if it weren't for Beth.

"We should do something." Beth looked up from the fire to me. "We should do something."

I just ignored her. There was nothing we could do. Not right now. It was dark and we had no supplies. We needed to get ourselves sorted before we even thought about doing anything else.

"We aren't the only survivors. We can't be. Rick, Michonne, they could be out here. Maggie and Glenn could have made it out of A block. Vickie, Aly and Zach too, they could have survived."

My eyes snapped up to look at her. The sound of Vic had my heart pumping a little faster. I knew she was okay. If anyone got out of the prison it would be her. She survived on her own for two months, and then eight months a different time. Sure the second time left her a little worse for wear, but I knew she'd still be alive, nothing much else really mattered to me except that.

"You're a tracker. You can track." she noted expectantly as she stood. When I didn't reply she continued to look down at me, as if waiting for me to get up and join her . "Come on. The sun will be up soon. If we head out now, we can-"

She realized then that I was going anywhere. She may want to go on and look for others, wandering around aimlessly, but it was a stupid idea. It was dangerous, and would end up getting one of us killed.

" _Fine_." grabbing my knife, she went to walk off. "If you won't track, I will."

I watched her walk off for a moment, thinking about what I should do. Stay and do the safe, smart, right thing... or follow her. If I didn't she'd just get herself in some trouble...

I got up, putting the fire by kicking some dirt onto the flames. Reaching down I grabbed my crossbow as I thought about how fast my patience was going to run out with her. But nether the less, I really had no choice, so I simply followed her.

 

...

 

The sun was up now. We had been wandering around for a few hours without any sign of life. Things weren't looking too good. If others had gotten out, they could be anywhere out here in the woods. We didn't have the time or energy to be wasting it on a search party right now.

I stopped, something on the ground catching my eyes. Crouching I moved some leaves out of the way. Gently getting moving them to reveal some tracks underneath.

Beth must have noticed I had stopped. She came to stand by me, looking over my shoulder at the ground. "Could be Luke's. Or Molly's. Whoever they are, it means they're alive."

"No. This means they were alive four or five hours ago." it was harsh, yes, but I was just being honest.

"They're alive." she snapped before walking off, following the tracks.

I stood, following her once more, while keeping my eyes to the ground to make sure she didn't steer from the path.

We came across some grape bushes where the tracks suddenly change.

"They picked up the pace here." I gestured to a spot where some of the grape lay on the floor, squashed from someone standing on them. "Got out in a hurry. Things went bad."

"Wouldn't kill you to have a little faith."

"Faith. Faith ain't done shit for us. Sure as hell didn't do nothing for you father."

I paused, realising what had just said. I didn't mean it like that, I didn't want to hurt her. Hershel had been a great man. He had been a friend, and he had saved Vic's life. He hadn't deserved to die the way he did. It was wrong of me to say what I had...

Turning to Beth our eyes locked as she staredat me, offened and disappointed. I silently apologised, hoping she'd see I knew I was wrong. I knew she had when her eyes softened ever so slightly before she turned back to the grapes. I looked away then, watching our surroundings, feeling a light discomfort settle over me.

"They'll be hungry when we find them."

I pulled out my handcachief and move towards her, offering the cloth as I tapped her arm. She hesitated at first before taking it from me, wrapping the grapes up into a little bundle in the cloth.

I watched and waited before walking off with nod, sighing. She joined me not long after and with that we kept going.

 

...

 

We slowed at the sight of two dead walkers right on the tracks. I reached out, looking at some leave on the bushes next to us, seeing blood.

"What?" Beth looked over to see what had my attention.

I shook my head, letting go of the leaves. "That ain't walker blood."

Shrugging she went to go on. "The trail keeps going. They fought them off."

"No." the place was messy. there were tracks all over the place, going in diferent directions. "Got walker tracks all up and down here. At least a dozen of them."

The sound of wood cracking had us both freeze, going silent. We listened out, waiting for whatever it was to come out. The footsteps were getting closer...

Beth yeled out as a walker come out of no where, grabbing her. It's teeth neared her skin, snarling and growling as she tried to get away from it.

I too action, aiming my crossbow. But the walker was behind her and there was no clear shot without getting her as well. So I dropped the bow, reaching for my knife. I had forgotten she still had it from this morning.

Insteand I grabbed the walker, pulling it away from her and throwing him on ground. I looked to Beth, seeing her grab the knife, knowing what to do. I rolled over so the walker was on top, faing up, just as she rushed to stand by us.

Without flinching or hesitating, she stabbed it in head.

I threw it off, panting with a little nod of thanks. Not wasting anytime I got up, grabbing my crossbow. "Come on."

We didn't say anything else, just kept going, following the tracks. I could see the hope in her eyes, that maybe, just maybe, they were all okay.

 

...

 

Walking out of the cover of the trees, we came to some train tracks. The sound of walkers snarling had us look over in the direction of the noise. There, lyng by the side of the tracks, were three walkers, eating the remains of other people.

I moved over to them, shooting two in the head. I pulled the bolt out of one of the walker's heads, before stabbin ghte last walker in the head with it as he was distracted by eating. Once that was done, I colloected the bolts, looking over to Beth,

She looked down tp the ground where a kid's boot sat.

Aly came to my mind then. I had been trying not to think about her all day. Earilr when I had seen te small tracks, I knew they had been a kids, it was obvious. But I didn't want to say anything, to bring it all to light. Because the idea of Aly being out here made me feel sick.

I had told Hershel Aly was like a daughter to Vic, but what I hadn't said was she was like a daughter to me as well. I had only ever really had Merle before all of this, never thought I'd have much more than him. But Vic had proved me wrong, and Aly had just brought us closer; Houdini too. In a world like this, the people you survive with become your family.

I grabbed my things, turning to walk away. I didn't want to think about them any more. not now. Not when there were things I had to do to keep Beth and me alive right now.

Her crying stopped me. Causing me to turn and look at her.

She still stood there, now crying as she continued to look down.

I gestured for us to keep going before turning and starting down the tracks. But her crying didn't stop, and I knew she wasn't following I knew she hadn't moved- probably didn't even see me walk away.

So I turned again, looking to her. And I waited. I waited while she cried, letting it all out because I knew what she had only just realised. We were alone, and for now, there was nothing we could do about it.

 

...

 

We sat in front of the fire once more, in silence. Except now there was an air that sat on our shoulders, a weight that hadn't been there before. Beth was losing hope, losing faith. She now knew, chances were we'd never see any of the others again.

She tore pages from a book she had always carried around in her back pocket, tossing the paper into the fire, watching it burn.

I looked to the flames, watching them flicker and wave. My thoughts turned to Vic, even though I didn't want to think of her right now. It was too painful. But I couldn't help it...

I remembered the last time we had sat in front of a fire like this, together. It had been a few weeks after Aly and the other Woodbury people had joined us.

A few of us sat outside, as we roasted some squirels Vic and I had caught that day. Aly rested against Vic, Houdini lying on the ground in a ball by their feet as I sat on Vic's other side, her head resting on my shoulder.

I hadn't really warmed up to the idea of Houdini and Aly yet. I had continued to keep my distance from all the new people. Why get close to people when they're just going to die? That's how I had thought. But that night, the way I watched Vic stroke Aly's hair and whisper sweet stories to her in front of the warm fire, I had let it all go and decided that it was about time I open up.

Once Aly was asleep, Vic looked up at me, smiling , the flames reflecting of her eyes. She had looked so beautiful and I had felt so lucky.

Shaking my head I cleared my mind, not wanting to think of her anymore, to picture how she'd looked. It hurt too much.

I knew she was out there, but after today, after being in the prison for so long, I wondered if she was really okay. She had been sick, a shot shoulder. Knowing her, she'd probably have Aly with her too, maybe even Houdini.

I knew she could take care of herself, she had done so many times, but she hadn't been on the verge of dying then. She hadn't had fresh stitches. She hadn't had a little girl and a dog to take care of.

Yeah, maybe she's alive. But would I find her in time to keep her that way? I didn't even know where she was or where she was going.

I just hoped she was safe...

**VPOV**

We ran as fast as we could. My heart was pounding hard in my chest, it felt as if it was going to rip itself out of me. My head pulsed, I wasn't one hundred percent yet and I could feel the sickness trying to kick me down. My shoulder throbbed, the stitches tearing at my skin.

But we couldn't stop.

Houdini ran in front of us, staying close. Aly grasped my shirt, as I held her to my back, carrying her through the woods. Zack was only a few steps behind, his illness worse than mine.

We could hear the snarls, the moans of the walkers as they continued to follow us.

Escaping the prison had been harder than I had hoped. We'd only barely gotten out together, and alive. But now we had a group of walkers following us, and we were out of ammo. The only option we had was to run and get away. There was no time to fight, no time to stop.

Our lives were on the line now. No more secure walls and fences. No more help from family and friends. There was just me, Zack, Aly, Houdini and a slim chance of finding the others, finding a safe new home, or surviving at all...

**  
**

**Chapter 15**

**Mummy**

**VPOV**

"Vickie, stop." Zach sighed from behind as I kept walking through the woods, Aly in my arms, Houdini by my side. "Victoria!"

I stopped, turning to him. "We can't. We have to keep going. We have to find the bus."

"The bus is gone." he dropped his bag on the ground. "And you're bleeding."

He was right, my shoulder, where I had been shot the other day, was bleeding again. Carrying Aly wasn't really helping. In fact it was just causing more pain. But we couldn't stop. I had to find the others. I just knew they got out.

Turning I started to walk again but stopped as Aly began to wiggle on my back, sliding from my grasp.

Placing her down, I crouched in front of her. "We gotta keep going sweetie. You gotta stay on my back, we'll move faster that way."

But she just shook her head. "You're hurt." her finger pointed to my shoulder.

She looked so scared and fragile. Her free hand moved to Houdini absentmindedly, grasping his collar as he sat next to her. The two of them looked at me with sad eyes. I knew that look all too well.

"The bus is gone, Vickie. They're all gone." Zach came to stand next to us. "So the best thing for us to do is to find somewhere to sleep. It's gonna get dark real soon."

I knew he was right, I didn't want to believe it, but chances of us finding the bus were very slim. The plan was to drive East, and keep going until they found somewhere to stop and gather themselves. That stop could be anywhere. They'd get there, get sorted, and probably leave before we even got close. If they were alive, they were long gone. For now, we should concentrate on surviving, and then we could head East.

I nodded slowly, still looking at Aly as she stood in front of me, her eyes locked on to mine.

"Okay. We look for somewhere to camp for the night. But I'm not giving up."

 

...

 

We had found an abandoned cabin that looked as if it would fall to the ground with a gentle tap. But behind it was an old,broken down RV...

I had Zach stay with Aly in the RV, getting it ready for the night. While Houdini and I carefully made our way into the cabin to look for food. I moved as softly and carefully as I could, looking through the cupboards. I found a few tins of spaghetti o's and some crackers. There was some soups, a couple of muesli bars, and some porridge. That's it. Enough for two nights, but after that we'd need to get more.

"It'll have to do." I sighed to Houdini as we made our way out, still being careful.

I opened the RV door, poking my head in. Aly sat on the one bed, playing with her two stuffed toys. Zach had a box on the ground, filling it with everything we could use. Like plate, boles, tines, rope, string, cable.

"Ready?"

He nodded, handing the box over. "That's all I could find."

Taking the box, I stepped back from the door, moving to start making our boarder security fence. I used the ropes and cables to tie the other bits and pieces along a tree, to a pole and the to the front of the RV. Pressing on the rope and shaking it slightly the cups, plate, tins and things all clanged together.

"Look good?" Zach asked as he stepped out of the RV.

I nodded, pleased with my work. "Anything comes along, we'll here it." I told him as I turned to walk inside.

It was sunset and getting dark. I knew we should be getting something to eat, so I grabbed the spaghetti o's and crackers before setting them out on the table. I wasn't going to start a fire to warm them or anything, we'd just eat it all like this for tonight.

"Aly, dinner."

I heard her shuffling around on the bed before her little feet started this way. She sat by the window, the curtains covering any view just incase some walkers went by.

I sat next to her, Zach across from us while Houdini sat on the ground. I placed one of the paper plates on the ground- Zach had found them- and scooped half of my tin on to it for the dog.

"What are we gonna do about sleeping? Do we take shifts?" Zach asked with a mouth full of cracker.

I shook my head looking into my tin of food as I ate. "No need. Houdini will wake us if there's any noise outside."

He looked behind my shoulder to the bed. "So..."

I could see the uncomfortable and nervous feeling growing inside him. I had realised pretty much as soon as we got into the RV earlier that there's only one bed. It was big enough so all three of us could sleep on it, but... well, Zach was scared.

"We'll deal with it later." I told him, thinking about Aly and not wanting to talk to her about Daryl right now.

He nodded and went back to eating, which I then did the same. But now my mind was on Daryl, and the others.

I wondered who got out, and who with. What they were doing? Were they all heading for the bus? Were some giving up all together? Were they camping for the night? Did anyone die? Was anyone hurt? I hoped and prayed they were all okay...

 

...

 

I tucked Aly in under the blanket on the bed. It was thin, and wouldn't do much to fight the cold, but it was the only thing we had.

"Night." she looked up at me, looking so scared and tired.

I sighed, sitting next to her. "Talk to me sweetie." I brushed some hair behind her ears. "Tell me what's on your mind."

She sniffled, hugging her two toys to her chest. "Is everyone dead?"

"Oh, no." I shook my head. "No, no."

"But how do you know?" she was on the edge of tears, I could see how bad she was feeling.

Sighing I looked over my shoulder at Houdini, where he sat on the short couch. "Come here." I called.

He lifted his head before heading over, jumping up next to Aly and lying down. His head dropping on her chest with a sad sigh. He was feeling it too.

"Look." I started as Aly began patting Houdini. "I may not know where everyone is but I do know we can't be the only people that got out. The bus made it, so there are people out there. Okay?"

She nodded, wriggling under the blankets and closing her eyes. "Okay mummy."

I froze.  _Mummy._  She had never called me that before. It warmed my heart, even when it was still aching from losing everyone else. And it had sounded so sweet and right coming from her...

It was no secret that I treated Aly as if she were my own. I may not have had a kid before- I may never have one- but that didn't mean I was clueless as to how a child should be raised and treated and loved. She needed someone, especially in a world like this. I was more than willing to be that someone the moment I saw her.

I kissed her forehead before getting up, watching her for a moment longer.

Turning I headed back to the table where Zach sat. He fiddled with a fork, obviously in deep thought. It wasn't really hard to think about what was on his mind, because we were all thinking the same thing. Except his thoughts were on Beth.

I sat across from him, watching as he sighed.

"You know, I knew, from the moment I got to the camp, chances of survival were pretty low. It's not like I'm a hunter like Daryl. Or a leader like Rick. Or a fighter like Michonne. I mean look at Maggie, Carol and Glenn.

"I can just tell they  _had_  to change to be the way they are now. But I never did change. I tried to stay the way I always was. I never wanted to lose that. You know?" he put the fork down, sitting back as he looked to me. "I bet you changed too. Right?"

I thought about the person I had been before. College student fooling around with my dad's best friend. I had been studying to become a teacher. Something simple and easy. I had never planned on leaving my home town.

I always thought I'd graduate, marry Shane, become a teacher, have kids, get a house. My life would be a step by step, simple affair. Nothing too exciting. I hadn't wanted that. I just wanted, peace and simplicity.

Yet here I was, stuck in an RV, about three years since the dead started rising. The guy I had been seeing before the world turned to shit was killed by my dad, and then rekilled by me. The guy I was now in love with was a redneck hunter with a crossbow. And I had sort of adopted a little girl and a dog.

I laughed lightly, shaking my head. "Simple college student. I had everything planned and knew what I wanted from life." I looked up at the roof, smiling half heartedly. "I didn't know how to kill an animal and skin it or anything like that. But I knew how many kids I wanted, and what they're names would be.

"Annabell, Travis, Hazel and Jayden." I nodded to myself. "I wanted two cats, and a white picket fence. My parents would come over on weekends; Carl would come too with his family. We'd all sit and have dinner together. It'd be perfect." My smile fell as I looked to him again, the happiness draining from my face as it turned plain and emotionless. "You don't get to think like that anymore. There's no happy ending, just survival."

I was being harsh, but he needed to hear it. "You say we need to find sanctuary. Well, there is none. All the safe places are taken, or gone. We can't trust anyone we don't know. Not out here. It's do or die. Survival of the fittest. Out here, the one thing you should rely on- the  _only_  thing you  _can_  rely on- is your instincts." I pointed to the door. "Out there, everything either wants to kill you, or take from you."

His eyes were wide as he swallowed hard, taking it all in. I could tell I was scaring him, but I needed to. He can't slow me down. He can't be the weak link that puts us in danger. Because if it came down to it. I would kill him. If I had to, I'd do it.

My hand fell as I gave a short nod. "Trust me. I've been out here on my own more than once. Both times changed me, but both times I came out alive. And that's all that matters." I stood, moving to grab one of the water bottles, taking a drink as he continued to sit there, watching me with wide eyes. Putting the bottle down I sighed. "We should get some rest." I turned to move to the bed.

"Where will I sleep?" he asked, causing me to stop.

I didn't look at him, just kept my eyes on the only bed in the RV. "Where do you think?" I asked, not harshly or cruel, just simply.

I could feel him go to answer before he stopped himself. It took a moment before he finally spoke. "What about Beth and Daryl."

Looking to him then, I let out a breath of frustration as the sound of Daryl's name broke my heart just a little more.

"Beth and Daryl aren't here. But unless you want to freeze your ass of, lying on that crappy lounge- then I suggest you come sleep on the bed with the rest of us." I shrugged lightly. "It's not like we're gonna spoon or something, Zach. It's just a bed and it's just sleep."

With that I turned back around and moved to join Aly and Houdini, the both of them already fast asleep.

It didn't take long for Zach to get up and cautiously come over to join us. He slid in next to me, making sure we didn't touch. I grinned to myself, amused, as he turned his back.

Even when he wasn't around to be a threat, Daryl still scared the crap out of people...

**  
**

**Chapter 16**

**Glowing Stars, Maybe Tonight**

**VPOV**

"Come on." I called Houdini as I stepped out of the RV.

Aly stood by the door, watching as I checked to make sure I had some water, food and a few other supplies I might need. She was scared for me, and herself, but mostly me. All morning she'd been begging for me to stay, for me to play with her and not worry about anything else. 'Just one day' she'd said.

"Don't go." her little voice shook.

I sighed, shaking my head as I looked up at her. "You know I have to, sweetie."

"But why? Why do you have to go?"

"Hey." Zach came to kneel behind her, placing a comforting hand on her back. "Everything will be okay. Houdini's going with Vickie, he'll keep her safe. You know how brave and strong he is. And I'll be here with you. We'll all be okay."

She shook her head. "I want Vickie." she pouted, stomping her foot. "I wanna go too."

I stepped closer to the door, shaking my head as I spoke sternly. "What did Daryl and I tell you the first time we went out and left you at the prison?"

"You got things to do. Dangerous things that aren't for kids, but need to be done." she answered softly, looking down at her feet.

"Exactly." I gave a short nod. "We told you there were things that needed to be done, to help all the people. And then you asked why it had to be me and Daryl. You remember what we said then?"

"Because you know what to do, and you know how to stay safe."

I gave her a half smile, resting my hand on her arm. "That's right."

"But..." she stopped, sighing before going on. "But Daryl's not with you this time."

Looking behind my shoulder to Houdini, seeing him waiting patiently, I nodded before looking to her again. "I tell you what. I'll be as fast as I can. Two, three hours tops. If I don't catch anything, then we'll just have to have tin food again. Sound good?"

She hesitated before nodding. "Two hours."

"Or three." I laughed, stepping back. "Now you keep Zack safe. You think you can do that?"

She nodded, standing up straighter as she turned serious.

Smiling at her one last time, I gave a short wave to the two of them before turning to the woods, ready to go hunting.

 

...

 

So far, I was failing miserably.

It was harder, hunting for food when all I really had to use was a simple knife. I was so used to Daryl and his crossbow, or having a gun, or just anything that would help me get the animal before it had a chance to run away... I hadn't caught a single thing yet. Houdini had been good though. He'd been sniffing things out, leading me to things I could try and get. But without a way of injuring the creature, I couldn't get close enough to kill it.

I remembered the day Daryl had tried to teach me how to use his crossbow. It brought a smile to my face.

_We stood in the field of the prison, standing in front of a make shift shelf he set up using spare bricks that had been lying around a broken wall, and a wooden plank. Cans and tins sat on top of the plank, my targets to practise on._

_Daryl stood behind me, hands putting me in the right position so I could shoot better. His mouth right by my ear. "You wanna relax. Look at the target, breath and let go." he told me with a whisper._

_Nodding, I did as he said, finger on the trigger, relax, breath and let go._

_The arrow sored through the air, hitting the plank and sticking into it..._

_"Seriously?" I groaned. It wasn't the first time Daryl and I had been out here doing this, and the fact I hadn't got it yet was seriously ticking me off._

_"You'll get it." he reassured me. "Try again."_

_Once more, I set the crossbow, bringing it up to aim, finger on the trigger. But before I took my shot, my attention snapped to his hand as it rested on my hip._

_My shirt was pulled up enough for his rough hands to touch my skin. A tingle spread over me, a sensation I had ignored for weeks because we couldn't do anything with Aly around all the time._

_Now it was like everything was intensified. I wasn't just burning where he touched, my whole body felt like it was on fire. The simple touch, his hand brushing my skin, holding me there, breath on my ear, body so close. Everything was painfully delicious and addictive._

_"Concentrate on your target." Daryl had no clue what he was doing to me. He just kept his mind on the task at hand._

_I grinned, turning as best I could to look at him. "I can't concentrate on anything when you're touching me."_

_He tensed, looking down at where his hand held me. He hadn't realized what he was doing. At first it looked like he was going to let go and step back, but I could see him change his mind._

_His grip tightened, pulling me against him a little more as his mouth moved from my ear, down to my neck. He placed a simple kiss there as his hand moved from my hip, further up under my shirt, to my waist."Aly's with Beth and Judith. Maybe we could go to the guard tower?" he offered._

_We needed this. I could feel he wanted it just as badly as I did. Our bodies were already screaming to be connected and together. My mind was singing praise at the simple contact between us._

_But we couldn't do anything right now because I had to learn how to use the crossbow, and then we had to go on a run with Glenn and Sasha. It was a busy day and we couldn't afford to be distracted._

_So I stepped away, raising the crossbow and aiming it once more. "Maybe tonight. Okay?"_

_"Yeah." he didn't sound upset, neither had I really. But we were._

_We both knew there were things to do, so he wasn't going to argue, and I wasn't going to let myself feel guilty for long. There would always be another time..._

There hadn't been another time. We'd been so tired from the busy day, that by the time we got back, we had just sat with everyone else and ate dinner before going to bed- Aly in between us. With all the people we'd been bringing in, and the fact we had basically become Aly's adoptive parents, we just hadn't had time to be together intimately. With all the runs, and teaching people how to work around the prison to help out, our lives were just so full.

Survival was the most important thing in the world these days. We didn't get the chance to sit around on laptops, watch television, read books, and play video games. Every moment was go-go-go. From the time you get up to when you finally get to sleep, every second of every day is spent making sure you're around tomorrow.

Sighing I gave a short whistle to Houdini as he drank from a puddle a few feet away. His head popped up, turning to me.

"Come on." I patted my thigh. He rushed over, tail wagging. Once he stopped by me, I reached forward to pet his head. "Good boy." I smiled down at him. "Let's get back to Aly."

 

...

 

"So, what are we going to do?" Zach asked as he came to sit across from me at the table.

I looked behind him towards the bedroom where Aly sat on the bed playing with her toys, Houdini lying behind her so she could lean against him. It still amazed me at how innocent she was even in a world like this.

I shrugged. "We've got enough food for one more day. I think we should sleep here for the night, and then in the morning we head off again."

"But where?"

"East." I said as if it was obvious.

Shaking his head, he sighed. "They're gone, Vickie. We can't chase after them when they're miles away. We have to take care of ourselves first."

"Daryl, Sasha, Glenn and I scouted a route for East. It's familiar, safe. I'm not going that way, just because of everyone else. I'm going that way because I know it." I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. "You're right, we have to take care of ourselves first. But the only way we do that is by getting supplies and staying safe."

"You think we can do that heading east?"

Giving a short nod, I answered. "I know we can do that heading east."

"Fine." he didn't sound convinced, but he knew sticking with me would give him his best shot. "We head out in the morning."

 

...

 

I walked back into the RV, holding a bowl of warm ham and pea soup. Setting it down in front of Aly, I watched as she looked down at it. "What's wrong?" I crouched beside her.

She shook her head, pushing the bowl away. "If you don't eat. I don't eat."

There was only enough food for Zach, Aly and Houdini. The porridge and bars had been used during the day, and the spaghetti o's and crackers were last night's dinner.

"I'm not hungry. I promise." I smiled up at her. "I nibbled on some left over crackers while I was hunting." I lied. "I don't need anymore."

She hesitated at first, watching me as if she could figure out if I was lying or not just by a look. But she believed me, she always did, and so she turned back to her bowl, pulling it closer to her before digging in.

Zach entered the RV at that time, sitting across from her with his bowl of vegetable soup. "I put the fire out for you." he told me as he began to eat.

I looked out the crack of the door, making sure it was out properly before locking up the RV. The last thing we needed was the fire to start up again and burn the RV down. Or worse, attract walkers to us.

"I'm gonna go lie down. Just call me if you need anything." I leaned down, kissing Aly on the top of her head before heading into the bedroom, and getting into bed.

I rested my head against the pillow, looking up at the roof. I hadn't noticed the glow in the dark stars up there last night- though they didn't glow anymore.

They reminded me of the glow in the dark stars we'd put in Carl's room.

_"Over here! Over here, mum!" I called, standing in Carl's room with my mum as we put glow in the dark stars all over the walls and roof._

_I was about eleven years old, Carl was pretty young too. It was his birthday soon and he really wanted to go into space. So mum and I decided to bring space to him. Pointing to a blank spot on the wall, I smiled widely at my mum as she came over with another star. She placed it in the spot before we both stepped back and admired our work._

_Every inch, every nock and cranny. There was a star everywhere you looked. It was beautiful and so cool. I was a little jealous it wasn't my room._

_"You think he'll like it?" mum asked, looking down at me._

_I nodded excitedly. "He'll love it."_

_"We're home!" dad's voice called from the house._

_He and Carl had been at the station with dad all afternoon._

_Going to work with dad was more fun than going to a theme park. All the people that worked there were always so nice, and spoiled us like crazy. We got to spin on the office chair, and sit in the cars with the sirens going on. We played with the hand cuffs and made a mess with the dye they used for finger prints._

_They came down the hall, heading our way, neither of them having any idea what mum and I had been doing while they were gone. Once they stepped inside, Carl came to a stop, his jaw dropping as he looked up at the roof, and down at the walls. His eyes lit up with excitement and wonder._

_"Oh, my God! This is so cool!" he grinned, running up to jump on to his bed, looking at the roof. "You guys are awesome!"_

_"Wow." dad looked at all the stars as well. "When's my room getting done?" he asked, looking down at me with playful eyes._

I wiped tears from my cheeks as I turned on to my side and away from the stars. Remembering my mum was painful enough, but my whole family? That was like getting stabbed in the heart. I missed them more than I could explain. I missed everyone.

Maggie, Glenn, Michonne, Carol, my best friends. Hershel, he had been like a grandfather. Beth, she was always with Judith it was like she was my sister too. Tyreese, Bob, Sasha, they'd become close friends of mine as well. Dad, Carl, Judith, my family. Daryl.

 _Daryl_.

I hugged myself as the memory of the first night we'd slept together- just slept, that's all- came to mind.

He had saved me from Shane, in the recreation room of the CDC. He took me back to my room, set me on the couch and made sure nothing had happened and I wasn't hurt. I had been so emotional I'd thrown my arms around him without really thinking about what I was doing. But he'd hugged me back, pulling me down on to the floor next to him- I had practically fallen into his lap.

_"You're okay. You're alright."_

_"Don't leave."_

I cried had cried against him, my face buried into his neck.

He had lifted me up, taken a seat on the couch and put me next to him as he pulled his legs up. I'd done the same with my legs, so we could both lying on the couch. All the while he had kept his arms around me.

_"I won't go anywhere."_

I remembered him whispering before I had fallen asleep. I think it was at that moment, things had started to grow between us. Sure there had been other times when we'd grown closer.

When he helped me during the walker ambush at our camp outside of Atlanta. When he'd caught me staring at the city, the sun setting. After we'd set Jim by the tree and left him to turn- because he wanted to. Driving towards the CDC, the two of us alone in his old pickup.

But none of those moments had changed our friendship as much as when he'd saved me from Shane and stayed with me for the night to make sure I was okay. The next morning, there was something more between us and from then on, we'd become somewhat an unofficial item I suppose. He had already been protective of me, but it increased. I had already been caring toward him, but that intensified.

I think at that moment, I had started to love him.

"Vickie?"

Aly's small voice had me turned around to face her as she stood by the side of the bed with Houdini. "What's up, sweetie?" I tried to smile at her, but she wasn't being fooled.

Her hand reached forward, tiny fingers brushing my cheeks. "You're crying."

I gave a sad half smile, moving over before patting the bed. She crawled under the blanket, next to me, looking my way as she watched worriedly. My arm came around her, hugging her to me to help better my mood.

"I'm just sad sweetie. I'm just sad."

She nodded, inching closer as she closed her eyes, Houdini jumping up to lay at the end of the bed. "Me too." she told me before curling up to go to sleep.

I had stayed awake all night, even after Zach had come to sleep as well. I had just laid there, gently stroking Aly's hair as I watched her sleep peacefully.

**  
**

**Chapter 17**

**A Real Drink**

**DPOV**

We'd been running from walkers for hours. Beth and I had no choice, we couldn't get away. So we had spent the night curled up in the trunk of an abandoned car, staying still and quiet, hoping they wouldn't find us, and they'd just keep going.

It was light out now, no more groaning or moaning could be heard...

Carefully and cautiously, Beth lifted the hood of the trunk up, I had my crossbow at the ready just in case we were wrong and there were walkers out there.

Luckily, they were all gone. So we go to work.

We grabbed cords, glass, rims. Anything we might be able to use for our camp side and anything we could carry. What was here, could be what saves us later on so we had to make sure we grabbed everything we could.

 

...

 

I knew Beth could set up the camp by herself, so I went hunting instead. We needed food, so now was as good as any other time.

I aimed at the squirrel climbing down the tree. Pulling the trigger, the crossbow flew through the air... hitting the tree and letting the squirrel run away. I never missed...

Moving to the tree I pulled my bolt out, taking a look at it. It was frayed, which explained why I missed. I wasn't going to be able to do much with broken bolts, so I had to improvise. Grabbing a 'Y' ended stick, and my knife- not the one Vic still had- I started tracking a different animal to kill.

It didn't take long to find the snake.

Using the stick, I trapped its head, and then brought my knife down, decapitating it. This was all for survival and even though there wouldn't be much meat for the two of us to share, it was the best I could do and something little was better than nothing at all.

As I skinned the snake, I felt someone watching me. Turning around, I caught sight of Beth. Without saying a word I just went back to the snake, getting it ready to cook.

We hadn't really said much to each other. After we found the walkers and dead people by the tracks, she'd changed. She wasn't all hopeful and cheery anymore. She knew we were alone, and something told me she hated me because of it...

 

...

 

Sitting by the fire, I dug into my cooked snake meat. It wasn't the best tasting thing, but like I said, there wasn't anything else.

Beth sat on the other side of the small fire she'd made, picking and eating at her own snake jerky. "I need a drink."

Without looking up at her, I grabbed one of the bottle and tossed it at her before going back to eating as if nothing had happened.

"No, I mean a real drink. As in alcohol."

I ignored her. I didn't have the time or energy to listen to some whining girl go on about what she wanted when there were more important things that she should be thinking about. Like how we're going to survive for example.

"I've never had one. 'Cause of my dad. But he's not exactly around anymore, so..."

I just kept on ignoring her. The way she spoke about Hershel, as if she didn't care, I knew it was a front. She was hurting, she couldn't hide that from me. But I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of saying anything back.

"I thought we could go find some." she just kept going on. "Okay." finally she realised I wasn't going to pay her any attention, so she stood. "Well, enjoy your snake jerky." moving in my direction, she pulled my knife out of the log it was stabbed into- only by a little though- before walking off.

Still, I didn't watch, stop or follow her. I just sat exactly where I was and ate my snake. I wasn't going off on some adventure to find her some alcohol.

 

...

 

I had felt bad, letting her go off on her own. I knew she wouldn't last by herself... So I had left our camp and went off to find her. It didn't take me long. I tracked her pretty easily and found her... hiding behind a tree while she waited for some walkers to run off.

Once they were gone, I stepped forward, purposefully stepping on a twig. She spun around towards me, clutching the knife as she gasped.

Turning I started move again, with her now close behind following me.

"I think we made it away." she said after a moment of silence. "I'm pretty sure we got to go that way to find the booze."

I stepped over the cord she'd hung up with some rims as a fence around our camp.

She came to a halt, hitting the cord, making the rims clang together. "What the hell? You brought me back. I'm not staying in this suck-ass camp." she gave me the finger, before turning to leave.

"Hey!" I grabbed her arm, stopping her. "You had your fun."

"What the hell is wrong with you? Do you feel anythin'?" she paused, watching me expectantly. "Yeah. You think everything's screwed. I guess that's a feeling. So you want to spend the rest of our lives staring into a fire and eating mud snakes? Screw that! We might as well do somethin'. I can take care of myself and I'm gonna go get a damn drink."

This time when she turned and left, I followed, knowing perfectly well there was nothing I could do to stop her from going off on her own to get some stupid alcohol... well unless I tied her to a tree or something, but that would be wrong...

 

...

 

We came to open grounds, a golf course with uncut grass and over turned carts. A lodge down the hill.

Beth turned to me. "Golfers like to booze it up, right?"

I didn't answer, just looked around, only to see a herd of walkers heading our way...

"Come on." she nodded, running rushing towards the lodge with me close behind.

As we got closer, I made sure my crossbow was ready in case we got caught by some walkers. It may not be good for hunting, but killing walkers was easier than that.

"There might be people inside." she sounded like the hopeful Beth from the prison.

Thunder rumbled in the distance as we walked up the stairs of the lodge, moving to the door. A walker was lying on the ground, dead. I quickly checked it for things we could use, but came up with nothing but a golf stick- which I grabbed.

Beth tried the door, rattling it with it wouldn't sound of the herd getting closer had us rush down the other side of the stair, moving around the building to find another door.

Golf stick in hand, I opened door carefully. When there was no walkers, I turned to Beth. "Come on." we rushed inside, closing the door and sliding the golf stick in the handles to keep it closed.

Turning I came face to face with what looked to be a camp, only there were bodies, lying everywhere, no survivors, with walkers hanging from the roof. It reminded me of what that doctor from the CDC had said. They 'opted out'.

Holding my crossbow, we carefully moved through the room, making sure that the bodies on the ground were only bodies and not walkers. The ones that hung snarled, trying to reach for us. But we just ignored them.

I grabbed a torch grab using it to give us some light so we could see if there was anything we could use.

My eyes landed on a handbag full of money and jewellery. I knew there was no use in grabbing any of it, but something inside of me felt as if I needed it. So I got on the ground, shoving it all into the bag before picking it up.

"Why are you keeping all that stuff?"

I looked up at Beth but didn't answer. Just kept stuffing everything in the bag.

Pounding at door had as both turn as the sound of the walkers outside got a little louder. The herd gathering out the door.

"Come on." I stood up, both of us moving on.

We walked through some more doors that I slam med closed, putting us in darkness, but keeping us from the walkers if they got in. It would at least give us a little time...

 

...

 

Looking through the kitchen I could only find some cinnamon sticks. I kept searching, wasting some time while she kept looking for something to drink. I was trying to distract myself from the fact this little mission was probably going to get one of us killed- and by one of us I meant her.

We were in a dark, never ending building with no idea who or what could be inside with us... odds didn't look good.

Beth screamed before I heard the sound of glass smashing, and then a struggle.

I rushed in the direction it came from, finding her struggling with a walker, trying to stab it with my knife. Then, before I could about helping her or not, she got it in the head.

Once it was dead, she looked at me, out of breath. "Thanks for the help."

"You said you could take care of yourself. You did." I shrugged, turning and walking away.

 

...

 

The store was full of using less things really. The only stuff we probably could have used were the clothes. Beth was busy grabbing some now, while I checked the register.

I grabbed the money off the counter, stashing it in the bag of jewellery and things I'd grabbed before. Checking the till, I found nothing so I just sat down and waited for her to finish while I chewed on a cinnamon stick.

She came back, now dressed in a white cardigan, and yellow shirt. Her light hit the top half of a dead walker stacked up on a mannequin in front of me. It was a woman, or at least it had been. A sign staple to its chest that read, 'RICH BITCH'.

She moved to put down but when she couldn't she turned to look at me expectantly. "Help me take her down."

I shrugged "Don't matter. She's dead."

"It  _does_  matter."

With a sigh I stood, grabbing a blanket and covering the body. "Here." I moved on before she could say anything, and she followed- staying silent.

As we walked back into the hallway, the grandfather clock chimed.

We froze for a moment before going on, but the sound of walkers snarling had us stop once more, shining our lights down the hall to see walkers coming.

"Move." I told her as more walkers appeared.

With a moments pause I looked to the walkers before turning and running down the hall in the same direction she'd gone.

We came to the locker room, Beth at the other door. I was about to keep running, and follow her out, but instead I came to a stop. I turned, lifted my crossbow, and waited.

The first walker came in and without waiting I shot it with me crossbow. The second one came a little fast, pushing it I shoved it away before grabbing a golf club and swinging for the walker. Head shot.

I hit the third, but the club stuck in its head. I broke it, using the sharp end to stab the fourth before kicking the fifth. Pulling a knife out, I stabbed the sixth in the eye and then turned back to fifth. I grabbed a new club as it neared me.

I swung the bat, hitting the walker three times before it fell to the ground. As it lay there, I felt my control slip. Over and over again, I slammed the club against it, hitting the walker eleven time. The last was a head shot, its brains splattering out... and covering Beth's new white cardigan.

Panting I felt bit better. It had been a release I needed.

Turning I looked at Beth as she looked at me. We stayed silent as she spun around, her back to me. She pulled the cardigan off, before moving on. Grateful she hadn't said anything, I stayed close behind her, following as we moved through the halls once more.

The place stayed to become easier to see as we neared the side of the building where the room would have windows and let in the light.

Walking into a new hallway, we turned, seeing our destination at least. The bar.

"We made it." she turned to me with relief before becoming serious. "I know you think this is stupid, and it probably is, but I don't care. All I wanted to do today was lay down and cry, but we don't get to do that. So beat up in walkers if that makes you feel better. I need to do this."

We walked into the bar, Beth going to the bar itself while I looked around. I found a bowl full of stuff on one of the tables. I grabbed it all, stashing it in my bag. Going around the room, I found a piece of art on the wall. Smashing the glass frame, I pulled the art out and shoved it in my bag as well.

"Did you have to break the glass?"

"No." I answered plainly. "You have your drink yet?"

"No." she sat on one of the stools, placing a bottle on the counter. "But I found this. Peach Schnapps. Is it good?"

I walked past her, heading for the darts. "No."

"Well, it's the only thing left."

Standing by the pool table I set my cross bow down before grabbing one of the balls. I tossed it in my hand a little before dropping it back on the table and moving to the dart where I grabbed them and turned away from the board.

Instead I looked towards the board of club presidents and their photos, using that their faces as targets. I threw the darts, hitting each face.

Then, out of nowhere, I could hear her crying.

My dart hit the board with a thud as her crying continued. I threw another dart, waiting for her to stop. But she didn't.

Moving over I grabbed the bottle of Peach Schnapps, throwing it against the floor and letting it smash. When I looked back at her, I answered her questioning eyes. "Ain't gonna have your first drink be no damned Peach Schnapps." I grabbed my crossbow, moving to the door. "Come on."

**  
**

**Chapter 18**

**Never Have I Ever**

**DPOV**

We walked through the woods, heading for a place I remembered finding a while back.

Beth- not one for silence- spoke up. "A motorcycle mechanic?"

"Huh?" I asked, having no clue what she was going on about.

"That's my guess." she answered as if it was obvious. "For what you were doing before the turn. Did Zach ever guess that one?"

"It don't matter." I sighed. "Hasn't mattered for a long time."

"It's just what people talk about. You know, to feel normal."

 _There's no such thing as normal, especially in a world like this. But normal to me was never normal like everyone else..._ "Yeah. Well, that never felt normal to me." we came to a clearing, s cabin sat in front of us, a shed beside it, junk all over the place. It looked all too familiar... "Found this place with Vic." I explained.

"I was expecting a liquor store."

"No. This is better." I gestured for her to follow as I headed for the shed, opening it up to see what I'd expected. A moonshine still.

"What's that?" she asked as I grabbed some jars and set them into a small crate.

"Moonshine." I answered, handing the crate over. Picking up my crossbow I nodded to the house. "Come on."

Careful, slow, and quiet I checked the house, making sure all the rooms were clear and safe. If she was drinking, I couldn't risk having some walker jump out and grab her. She won't be herself much longer- especially if it's her first drink. She set the jars on the table while I grabbed a cup and cleaning the dust out of it. I poured some moonshine for her, setting on the table.

"All right. That's a real first drink right there." I nodded, but she just sat there, staring at the drink. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." she shook her head, looking up at me. "It's just... my dad always said bad moonshine can make you go blind."

I shrugged. "Ain't nothing worth seeing out there anymore anyway."

After hesitating a moment longer, she grabbed the cup and took a drink. At first she frowned, before smiling widely. "That's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted." lifting the cup, she finished it. "Second round's better." she gave a little laugh, reaching for the jar I'd opened.

"Slow down." I warned.

"This one's for you."

I shook my head as she poured. "No, I'm good."

"Why?" she sounded offended.

"Someone's got to keep watch." I told her as if it was obvious- because it was.

"So what, you're like my chaperone now?"

"Just drink lots of water." I sighed, moving to set the place up for the night.

"Yes, Mr Dixon."

I froze, thinking of Vic. She used to call me that. No so much anymore, but before, there had been times when she had. There were enough times for me to remember, and feel a stab of pain now. She was the only one who had called me that...

Shaking my head, I moved on, grabbing whatever was lying around, and using it to cover the windows. Hammering nails into boards to cover any view of us inside.

Beth laughed. "Who'd go into a store and walkout with this?" she pulled out a pink bra bowl thing. I wasn't sure what it was, but it wasn't the first time I'd seen something like it before.

"My dad, that's who." I shrugged, answering. "He's a dumbass. He'd set those up on top of the TV set, use them as target practice."

"He shot things in your house?" she sounded shocked as if it wasn't normal... which it wasn't for her but for me it was.

"It was just junk anyway." I shrugged again. "That's how I knew what this place was. That shed out there? My dad had a place just like this." I looked around the room, pointing at the crappy sofa. "You got your dumpster chair. That's for sitting in you drawers al summer, drinkin'."

I pointed a metal pot thing. "Got your fancy buckets. That's for spittin' chaw in, after your old lady tell you to stop smokin'." I grabbed some old newspapers. "You got your in'ernet." dropping it I sighed.

Vic came to mind again. I wondered what she would have thought if we'd met when the world was the way it had been. I didn't think we would have gotten together. She was a lot younger than me- I was old enough to be her father honestly... But besides that, she wouldn't have been interested in a lazy, rude, racist pig like me and I would have just seen her as some useless girl good for nothing but one thing...

We'd changed each other though, for the good. Though I'd changed more. I was less angry and more thoughtful. I cared about more than just me. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She'd grown up.

A walker snarled outside.

I gestured for her to stay quiet while I turned to look out the window I'd been boarding up. "It's just one of them." I told her.

"Should we get it?"

Shaking my head, I looked back at her. "If it keeps making too much noise, yeah."

She looked to her side, grabbing a jar of moonshine. "Well, if we're gonna be trapped again, we might as well make the best of it." she offered me the drink. "Unless you're too busy chaperoning, Mr Dixon."

I felt another stab of pain at the nickname. "Hell." moving towards her I grabbed the jar. "Might as well make the best of it." sitting on the couch next to where she sat on the floor, I rocked on it, opening the jar. "Home, sweet home." I mumbled before taking a drink.

I wasn't much for drinking anymore. The last time I had was when we'd been at the CDC and I had wanted to kill Shane for touching Vic, but having her there stopped me. Couldn't really control myself while I was drinking. But if it meant dulling the pain of losing her, and everyone, and having no idea what to do or where to go, then I was going to drink.

 

...

 

I leaned against the sofa, looking at Beth as she explained 'Never Have I Ever', a drinking game I'd never heard of. "So first I say something I've never done, and if you have done it, you drink. And if you haven't, I drink. Then we switch." she looked at me surprised. "You really don't know this game?"

"I ain't ever needed a game to get lit before."

"Wait, are we starting?"

Ignoring her, I pointed, wondering something. "How do you know this game?"

She shrugged. "My friends played. I watched." shaking her head she went on. "Okay, I'll start. I've never shot a crossbow. So now you drink."

"Ain't much of a game." reaching for one of the drink on the makeshift table in front of us, I took a drink.

"That was a warm up." she explained. "Now you go."

"Um..." I couldn't think of anything. "I don't know."

"Just say the first think that pops into you head."

I did as she said. "I've never been out of Georgia."

"Really? Okay. Good one." she took a drink. "I've never been drunk and did something I regretted."

I took a drink. "I've done a lot of things." I told her, setting the jar down.

"Your turn."

"I've never been on vacation."

"What about camping?"

I shook my head. "No, that was just something I had to learn to hunt."

"Your dad teach you?"

"Mm hmm." that was not a conversation I was having with her. He wasn't a person I liked to think about...

She shrugged. "Okay." once she took a drink, she set the jar down before think up a question. "I've... never been in jail. I mean, as a prisoner." she added as if that was going to make it better.

I watched her carefully, trying not to react because I could feel myself boiling. "Is that what you think of me?"

"I didn't mean anything serious. I just thought, you know, like the drunk tank. Even my dad got locked up for that back in the day."

I gestured to one of the jars. "Drink up."

"Wait. Prison guard." it was like she was trying to lighten the mood, or maybe she didn't realize how pissed she'd made me. "Were you a prison guard before?"

I just kept staring at her. "No."

"It's your turn again." she smiled.

I got up with a sigh. "I'm gonna take a piss." walking to the other side of the room, I dropped jar my jar, letting it shatter against the ground, making a loud noise.

"You have to be quiet."

"Can't hear you!" I yelled over my shoulder, unzipping my pants. "I'm taking a piss!"

"Daryl, don't talk so loud."

"What, are you my chaperon now?" finishing I turned around, doing my belt back up. "Oh wait, it's my turn now. I've never, uh... I've never eaten frozen yogurt. Never had a pet pony. Never got nothing for Santa Claus."

I hit the chair the jars sat on, not enough to push it over, but still made the jars clang together. "Never relied on anyone for protection before. Heck, I don't think I've relied on anyone for anythin'!"

"Daryl."

"Never sung out in front of a big group out in public, like everything was fun. Like everything was a big game." I turned away from her, shaking my head before turning back. "I sure as hell never cut my wrists looking for attention!"

The walker outside started snarling again, louder than before. All the noise from inside had it getting excited.

"Oh, sounds like our friend is trying to call over his buddies." kicking some tins that sat on the floor, I made more noise on purpose.

"Daryl, just shut up."

"You never shot a crossbow before? I'm gonna teach you right now." I grabbed her arm. "Come on. It's gonna be fun." pulling her up I moved to the door before kicking it open.

"We should stay inside." she struggled against me as pulled her along to the side of the house. "Daryl, cut it out! Daryl!"

The walker came around towards us, snarling, arms stretch out in front of him.

"Dumbass. Come here, dumbass." I shot him, my bolt sticking into the tree behind him, making it so the walker couldn't move.

"Daryl." Beth warned.

"You want to shoot?"

"I-I don't know how."

"It's easy." I grabbed her again, holding her in place, facing the walker as it struggle. "Come here. Right corner." I shot my crossbow, showing her.

She pushed me away. "Let's just practise later."

"Come on, it's fun." I set my crossbow up for another.

"Just stop it. Daryl!"

Grabbing her again, I took aim. "Come here. Eight ball." shooting, I hit the walker.

"Just kill it!"

Letting go of her I moved towards the walker. "Come here, Greene. Let's pull these out. Get a little more target practice."

Before I got to it, she stormed over, stabbing it in the head with the knife.

I turned to her, frowning, pissed. "What the hell you do that for? I was havin' fun."

"No, you were being a jackass. If anyone found my dad-"

"Don't!" I cut her off. "That ain't remotely the same!"

"Killing them is not supposed to be fun!"

"What do you want from me girl?" I snapped, getting in her face. "Huh?"

"I want you to stop acting like you don't give a crap about anythin'! Like nothing we went through matters. Like none of the people we lost meant anything to you. It's bullshit!"

"Is that what you think?"

She stood her ground. "That's what I know."

"You don't know nothin'!"

"I know you look at me and you just see another dead girl. I'm not Michonne. I'm not Carol. I'm not Maggie. I'm not Vickie. I've survived and you don't get it 'cause I'm not like you or them. But I made it! And you don't get to treat me like crap because you're afraid."

Shaking my head, I stepped closer to her. "I ain't afraid of nothing."

She kept staring at me. "I remember. When that little girl came out of the barn after my mum. You were like me. And now, God forbid, you ever let anyone get too close."

"Too close, huh? You know all about that. You lost two boyfriends! You can't even shed a tear! Your whole family's gone and all you can do is go out looking for a hooch like some dumb college bitch!"

"Screw you. You don't get it."

"No, you don't get it! Everyone we know is dead!"

"You don't know that!"

"Might as well be, 'cause you ain't never gonna see them again! Rick. You ain't never gonna see Maggie again!"

"Daryl, just stop!" she reached.

I pulled away, turning so my back was to her. "No!" I took a shaky breath. "The Governor rolled right up to our gates. Maybe if I wouldn't have stopped looking. Maybe 'cause I gave up. That's on me."

"Daryl."

"No." I tried to breathe but found it was harder than normal. Everything felt like it was falling apart as my walls crumbled. "And your dad. Maybe- Maybe I could have done something."

Her arms came around me as she hugged me from behind. Her grasp on me tighter and comfortingly.

I couldn't stop myself, I started to cry.

 

...

 

"I get why my dad stopped drinking."

We sat on the porch, the sun now set, the sound of crickets chirping around us. Bugs and creatures that slept during the day were awake and lively, moving around the woods, surviving like we all had to.

"You feel sick?" I looked at her from where I'd been digging my knife into the wooden floor boards.

"Nope. I wish I could feel like this all the time. That's bad." she smiled.

Turning out at the trees I gave a short nod. "You're lucky you're a happy drunk."

"Yeah, I'm lucky. Some people can be real jerks when they drink."

"Yeah, I'm a dick when I'm drunk." I looked at her again before turning back to my knife at ground. "Merle had this dealer. This janky little white guy. A tweaker. One day we were over at his house watching TV. Wasn't even noon yet and we were all wasted. Merle was high.

"We were watching this show and Merle was talking all this dumb stuff about it. He wouldn't let up. Merle never could. Turns out, it was the tweaker's kid's favourite show. And he never sees his kids, so he felt guilty about it or something. So he punches Merle in the face. So I started hitting the tweaker, like hard, hard as I can. And he pulls a gun, sticks it right here." I gestured to my temple. "He says, 'I'm gonna kill you, bitch!'. So Merle pulls his gun on him. Everyone's yelled. I'm yellin'. I thought I was dead. Over a dumb cartoon about a talking dog." I scoffed.  _Things were a lot different back then..._

"How'd you get out of it?"

"The tweaker punched me in the gut. I puked. They both started laughin' and forgot all about it." turning away I thought about the person I'd been. "You wanna know what I was before all this? I was just driftin' around with Merle, doin' whatever he said we were gonna be doin' that day. I was nobody. Nothin'. Some redneck asshole with an even bigger asshole for a brother."

"You miss him don't you? I miss Maggie. I miss her bossin' me around." she laughed. "I miss my big brother, Shawn. He was so annoying and overprotective. And my dad." her laughter stopped, smile falling as she turned sad. "I thought... I hoped he'd just live the rest of his life in peace, you know? I thought Maggie and Glenn would have a baby. And he'd get to be a grandpa. And we'd have birthdays and holidays and summer picnics." she smiled, sighing.

"And he'd get really old. And it's happen, but, it'd be quiet." shrugging she went on. "It'd be okay. He'd be surrounded by people he loved." looking at her hands she turned sombre as she thought about it all, before looking up again and smiling. "That's how unbelievably stupid I am." she was crying, reaching for her jar to take drink.

"That's how it was supposed to be." I admitted, because that's what I had wanted. Things I never thought I'd ever want, a things I knew I'd never get.

I thought we'd stay at the prison, bring people in, start farming, breeding animals to for food. Vic, she would have gotten pregnant. We'd have a kid, bring it up with Aly. Maybe we'd find another dog that would get with Houdini, and we'd have puppies. The kids would be happy, we'd be together, and things would be right. We'd get married, like Glenn and Maggie, not official because that's all gone, but we'd have a party and Rick would give her away. Eventually people would start to pass, but it wouldn't be bad, it's be simple. And Vic and I would get old, leave the council for the next generation.

Her sigh brought me out of my thoughts. "I wish I could just change."

"You did."

"Not enough. Not like you. It's like you were made for how things are now."

"I'm just used to this. Things being ugly. Growing up in a place like this."

"But you get away from it."

I shook my head. "I didn't."

"You did." she insisted.

"Maybe you gotta keep on remindin' me sometimes."

"No. You can't depend on anybody for anything, right?"

Silence fell between us once more, and I found myself listening to the crickets. Aly had loved the sound of the crickets...

"I'll be gone someday." she said out of nowhere.

I turned to her. "Stop."

"I will." shifting on the spot, she went on. "You're gonna be the last man standing. You are. You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon." smile.

"You ain't a happy drunk at all."

"Yeah, I'm happy. I'm just not blind." she laughed. "You gotta stay who you are, not who you were. Places like this, you have to put it away."

"What if you can't?"

"You have to. Or it kills you. Here." her hand pressed against her chest, right above her heart, and she smile.

I looked at her, before looking away again. "We should go inside."

"We should burn it down." her smile widened as she laughed.

I got up, grabbing the jar off the floor before moving towards the door. I stopped a few steps away, looking over my shoulder at her again. "We're gonna need more booze." was all I said before I headed inside.

She followed me, the two of us moving to the crate of jars. I grabbed one and opened it, splashing the moonshine everywhere. She laugh grabbing her own jar.

We spilled, poured, shook and tossed all the jar, moonshine going everywhere. Making our way towards the door again as we did so, until we stood out on the porch.

We poured more over everything we could see. Splashing the liquid around us while walking backwards, off the porch. Once we stood on the dirt, we tossed a jar each, Beth's smashing against the porch.

Walking away I made sure we were far enough before stopping. Putting me things down I searched the bag I'd grabbed from the lodge, pulling out the matches that had sat in the bowl in the bar. "You wanna?" I offer her the matches.

"Hell, yeah." she took them, lighting one up before putting it to the stack of cash I now head out towards her.

Once it was caught on fire I threw it towards the porch. We watched as the flames started off small, slowly growing. I threw the last jar of moonshine, the flames growing as it hit the alcohol and spread through the house.

Beth raised her arm, giving the burning house the finger. She nudged me, and with a sigh, I lifted my own arm, and my own finger.

Walkers appeared, attracted to the flames, and we knew it was now time to move on. Dropping our fingers, we turned and left.

**  
**

**Chapter 19**

**There Were Three in the Bed**

**VPOV**

"Faster! Faster!" Aly laughed.

Aly held on to Zach's back as we walked through the woods. I was a little bit ahead, keeping an eye out, checking for tracks to catch some dinner, and to make sure there were no walker's around. Houdini stayed close by me, ready for anything.

I turned, seeing Zach running in a zigzag pattern, grinning widely as Aly laughed in his ear. It was nice to see that they were still having fun, even though the chances of all of us surviving were slim...

It's not that I didn't think I could keep them all safe, I just knew it didn't matter what I did. The past told me it didn't matter how safe you were, it was easy for things to change and get bad really fast.

Houdini whimpered next to me. I looked down at him, seeing him crouch in the grass, looking out in the distance. I followed his gaze, seeing three walkers wandering around.

Spinning on my heels, I rushed towards Zach. "Walkers." keeping my voice low, I warned them.

His eyes went wide, setting Aly down. I picked her up, holding her close as I moved to a nearby tree, holding her up to it.

"Climb up and don't come down till I say." I told her before looking to Zach. "You go up too."

He shook his head. "You can't get them all on your own. You're still healing from being sick and getting shot."

I gave him a pointed look. "You're still healing from getting sick, and I'm better at this than you. We don't have time to argue, so climb."

Without giving him a chance to argue I walked away from him, knife ready, I hid behind a tree, waiting for the walkers. If they didn't come closer I wasn't going after them. But we weren't running away either. We were too tired and we couldn't stray from the path anymore. We had to keep east.

A twig snapped close by, I counted to three, waiting for a moment longer before jumping out from behind the tree and stabbing the walker in the head, quick and easy. But the other two were closer than I had thought, and they'd heard me. Groaning, they made their way towards me, arms stretched out, snarling and moaning.

Houdini jumped out of the bushes, pouncing on one of them and knocking it to the ground as I pushed the other against the tree and stabbed in in the head as fast as I could.

Running over, I pushed Houdini out of the way before the walker could bite him. Grabbing the thing, I held it down, stabbing it in the head over and over, panting hard as I killed it several times over.

"Vickie."

"Ah!" I grunted, stabbing the walker. I hated it, I hated this  _thing_.

"Victoria." a hand rested on my shoulder.

I pulled my knife out of the walker's head, turning it on to whoever touched me. Before I stabbed them though, I stopped myself, seeing it was only Zach.

Eyes wide, I dropped the knife, moving back a bit. I couldn't believe I nearly stabbed Zach... I could have killed him...

"I'm sorry." I looked away.

He knelt beside me. "Are you okay?"

Panting hard I slowly shook my head. "I don't know what we're supposed to do, Zach. I don't know where to go from here. Our friends, my family. They could be scattered all over the place. I know chasing after the bus is stupid, and dangerous, but I can't do this again."

"Do what?"

I sighed, looking up, out in the distance at the trees that surrounded us. "I can't be out here again. It does bad things to me."

"What do you mean?"

"The first time I was out here it was only a month maybe two. It wasn't that bad, everything had only just happened... but the second time? I was out here for eight months, all on my own. I became something different, an animal. Crawling on the ground like an ape, I lost all my memories, forgot how to talk... I can't do it again. I can't be on my own."

He rested his hand on my shoulder, reaching forward with the other to wipe my tears away. I looked up at him as he smiled down at me. "You're not alone."

 

...

 

We had set up a camp, using the cans and tins and rope from the RV to make a border. If walkers came, we'd wake up.

A fire sat in front of us, the rabbit I'd caught earlier cooking over it. Aly was sleeping, curled up with Houdini, Daryl's poncho wrapped around her to keep her warm. Her toys hugged up to her chest tightly.

"She's doing good." I turned to Zach as he sat next to me. He shrugged, going on. "She understands what's going on."

I sighed, looking up at the sky. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm the right person to take care of her. Maybe if she'd been with Maggie, or Beth, or my dad. She'd stand a better chance. I'm not exactly stable..."

"I think you're wrong. I don't think anyone else would be right. She doesn't see you the way you see yourself. She cares about you. You're her family... you're her mum."

My head snapped in his direction. I wasn't going to deny or accept what he'd said. I wasn't her mum, I'd never replace the family she would have had before everything happened. But I was the closest thing to it...

He nodded, looking down at the fire. "I heard her the other night. I see the way she looks up at you. How she gets so worried when you're hurt. How she lit up when you came back from hunting. At the prison, when you and Daryl went out on runs or went hunting, she'd look so sad and lost.

"But then you'd come back and she'd be happier than a kid on Christmas day. You're all she's got. And she loves you." he reached for the rabbit, taking it off the fire and putting it on a plate. Using a clean knife, he cut it up, evenly separating it on two other plates.

Turning around I crawled over to Aly, looking down at her as she slept, Houdini's eyes open, watching me, tail lightly wagging.

Shaking her gently, I woke Aly up. "Come on, sweetie. Dinner's cooked."

Her eyes fluttered open, sniffing the air. "Mmm." she smiled, sitting up. "Yummy."

Laughing I handed her a plate, and fork before grabbing my own. I shared half of my rabbit with Houdini, not leaving him to starve even though there already wasn't much to eat. He was grateful for it, I could tell. Wagging his tail faster, eyes big and happy.

"Here, Dini." Aly giggle, throwing a piece in the air. He caught it, swallowing it whole which made her laugh harder.

Shaking my head, a pulled her closer to me, her head resting on my chest as she watched the dog sniff the ground for more meat. Daryl the Deer in one hand, her grip tight, she sighed happily.

I brushed some hair behind her ear, smiling down at her. Zach watched while he ate, smiling along with Aly. It was a nice moment, and it warmed my heart.

"Okay, bed time." I told her.

She stood while Zach and I made the bed. A plastic sheet under nether and the thin blanket from the RV on top, with jumpers rolled up to make pillows. Once we were done, we all laid down together, Zach and Aly singing and laughing together.

" _There were three in the bed and the little one said 'Roll over, roll over'. So they all rolled over and one fell off..._ "

Aly giggled, pushing at Zach. "Roll off. Roll off." she laughed.

I laid there, smiling at them as he rolled over and off the sheet. She buried her face in the blanket, muffling her laughs.

_Maybe I was wrong. Maybe things were going to be all right..._

 

...

 

Rattling woke me up with a start, groans and moans pulling me out of my sleep. I sat up looking around to see two walkers pressing against the rope which was about to give way. More walkers behind them, coming towards our camp.

"Shit." I shook Aly, waking her up. "Come on! Come on! Zach!" I stood as they woke, grabbing what I could.

If the walkers got closer we were going to get caught. Two we could deal with, but it looked like there were at least fifteen more eight or ten feet away. We didn't have time to waste.

Zach sat up, eyes wide, seeing what I saw. He started grabbing everything too, stashing it in his bag.

Houdini growled at the walker's snarling at them, baring his teeth. But he didn't attack. He knew not to unless they were closer.

Aly got to her feet, tugging Daryl's poncho on tighter as she picked up her two toys. "Vickie..."

I stepped towards her, grabbing one of her toys and shoving it in my bag. "You hold on to me and you don't let go. You understand?" she nodded and without hesitating, I pulled her up on to my back. "Don't let go!"

Zach pulled the rope down on the only cleared side, letting me and Aly run through first before he followed, with Houdini behind him.

It was still dark, and there was a light fog surrounding us. It made it harder to see, and more dangerous for us to run. If I tripped, Aly and I would get caught by the walkers, he same with Zach.

"Come on! Come on!" I yelled.

"Vickie!" Aly tugged on my shoulder. "Vickie, Zach's gone."

I stopped looking over my shoulder. She was right, Zach wasn't following us anymore, and there's weren't as many walkers...

Houdini whimpered, looking up at me.

I sighed. "Shit." setting Aly down, I kept her behind me. "Stay with Houdini." I told her before moving forward.

Grabbing one of the walkers as it reached out for me, I backed us up until I was pressed against a tree, using the walker as a shield. I managed to stab it, and hold it in place as the other walkers pushed up against it, one at a time.

Grunting, I did as best as I could, stabbing the walkers as they tried to get to me from behind the body. A pile started to build around me, the last walker falling.

Panting I dropped my shield, looking down at the bodies. There were about six or seven... which meant the others were either killed by Zach... or eating him.

Aly was gone. I knew she wouldn't have gone too far, just far enough to be safe. I could track her easily later. But for now, I turned, running in the direction we'd come from to try and find Zach.

He was on top of a large rock, four walkers trying to grab him from the ground.

I ran forward grabbing one and stabbing it in the head from behind. The other's turned to me, moving my way. I backed up, leading them away, waiting.

One pounced at me, going for my neck. I grabbed its shoulders, struggling and groaning against to as I tried to get my knife pointed towards its head. I managed to push it away just as another went for me.

I stabbed that one, before stabbing the second.

The last came for me, stumbling a little more than the others. Somehow I'd managed to turn and move back towards the rock. I was coming close to it now.

Once the walker was close enough, I quickly stepped aside. It tripped and before it could get up I grabbed it, slamming its head against the rock until there was nothing but meat hanging from its neck.

"Argh." I looked up, seeing Zach, holding his bleeding leg...

"No." I gasped, stepping closer. "You're bit."

He nodded, body shaking. "I tripped, and I couldn't out run them. While I climbed up here, one got my calf. I kicked it away, but..."

"No." I shook my head. "No, no, no."

He looked at me with sad eyes before they went wide. "Where's Aly?"

"She's fine. She's hiding." they had come close since we'd left the prison. He had made her laugh. They were friends. We all were... and now we were going to lose that. "I'll- I'll get her-"

"No." he cut me off. "I don't want her seeing me like this."

"Then what do I tell her?"

He slid of the rock carefully, hissing when his foot hit the ground, the contact vibrating through his leg to his calf. "Just tell her you didn't find me... tell her I'm gone."

I felt my eyes begin to well up. "Zach..."

He just smiled lightly. "I'll be okay. Just take care of her."

I knew what he was saying... he didn't want me to kill him. He knew I couldn't do it, not while he's like this. And I couldn't wait for him to die and turn either, it could take days...

Nodding, I wipe at my cheeks. I couldn't say anything, just look at him with sad sympathetic eyes.

He shrugged his bag off his shoulder, handing it over. "You should take it. I won't need anything for much longer."

"Zach... it could take days before you... you know..."

But he insisted. "You and Aly will need it more."

With a heavy sigh, I took the bag. "Thanks."

Nodding, he slid down to the ground, resting his head against the rock. "You should go... Go find her."

I watched him a moment longer before turning on my heels, making my way back through the woods. It was dark, but I could still see my tracks just barely. So I followed them. Whistling I hoped Houdini would come up, bringing Aly with him.

"Come on boy." I whispered. Staying low, I continued to follow my tracks until I got to where we separated. "Aly?"

A twig snapped behind me. I sun around, seeing Aly run out of some bushes, clutching Daryl the dee to her chest as she ran towards me.

Dropping Zach's bag. I fell to my knees, opening my arms just as she reached me, throwing her arms around my neck and burying her face in my hair as she held me tightly. I silently cried against her and we stayed there holding each other.

"Where's Zach?" her little voice asked.

I took a deep breath, calming myself before answering. "I lost him, sweetie... He- he's gone..."

_There were two in the bed..._

**  
**

**Chapter 20**

**Almost Done**

**DPOV**

"Are we close?"

I was teaching Beth how to track. We were following some right now as she held my crossbow in front of her, ready to aim and shoot. Even though I'd been a jerk last time we had talked about her learning, she still insisted. So far... she wasn't too bad.

"Almost done." I answered from close behind her.

"How do you know?"

"The signs are all there. Just got to know how to read them."

She lowered the crossbow a little, moving forward. "But what are we tracking?"

"You tell me." when she turned to look at me I shrugged. "You're the one that wanted to learn."

Looking to the ground, she watched the tracks go further in a pattern. "Well, something came through here. The pattern is all zigzaggy." she noted. "It's a walker."

"Maybe it's a drunk."

Smiling, she lifted the crossbow again. "I'm getting good at this. Pretty soon I won't need you at all."

Nodding I gestured for her to go on. "Yeah. Keep on trackin'."

We got to a clearing. Behind the trees, as we moved around, we could hear the snarling of the walker that knelt in the middle of the open space.

"It's got a gun." Beth turned to me.

I gave a short nod to her, and she turned back to the walker, slowly moving forward. She raised crossbow to eye level, moving carefully and cautiously taking it step by step.

Suddenly there was a mechanic nose as she took a step. Her foot caught on something she fell to the ground with a yelp.

The walker turned to her, dropping the squirrel or rat it had been eating and getting to its feet.

As I rushed towards Beth, she shot at the walker, getting it in the mouth. Close but not close enough. I snatched the crossbow away, stepping up to the walker and smashing it in the head with my bow, brains splattering out.

Without waiting, I turned back to her, moving to kneel by her foot and let it out of the trap. "Can you move it?"

She slowly started to move it in the air, gently and lightly to make sure it was okay. Panting, she gave a short nod. "Yeah."

 

...

 

My arm around Beth, I helped her move as she limped along. We came to the end of the tree line, opening up to a graveyard and what looked to be a funeral home up the hill, a road between the two.

She stopped, leaning down to reach for her foot. "Can we hold up a sec?"

"You all right?"

"I just need to sit down."

I looked up at the house, it seemed secure from over here. There were no walkers around which was a bonus, and besides, we didn't have anywhere else to go...

Adjusting my crossbow, I strapped it around my front. "All right. Hold up." turning so my back was to her, I bent down a little. "Hop on."

"You serious?"

"Yeah, this is a serious piggyback." I answered sarcastically. "Jump up." I told her. She did as I said, putting her hands on my shoulders before jumping up. I grabbed her thighs to hold her there as I exhaled. "You're heavier than you look." I teased, pulling her up to make sure she'd stay before walking.

"Maybe there are people there."

"Yeah, if there are, I'll handle them."

"There are still good people, Daryl."

I sighed sadly. "I don't think the good ones survive."

We came up to the graves, passing them as I moved towards the house. But as we got to one, I felt Beth shifting on my back, leaning over and sliding down so she could stand in front of it. Once she was off I stopped, turning to look at the grave...

_NOV 12TH 1837_

_DEC 10TH 1874_

_BELOVED FATHER_

I knew she was thinking about her father, how she'd never get to bury him like she was supposed to. How he was just gone and she didn't have a place she could go to visit and talk to. There were no goodbyes, no farewells.

It was all too sudden...

I turned grabbing some flowers that were growing like a weed. At least they'd add colour. I set them on top of the grave stone before stepping back, moving next to her.

I looked away from a moment, and froze. The grave next to it was a little too close to my heart...

_Victoria Davis_

_Daughter, Sister, Friend_

_She will be missed._

I walked towards it, crouching down as I stared at the name, feeling my heart break.

I knew it wasn't my Vic, I knew it was just a name on a piece of concrete... but it still hurt. Vic was out there somewhere, alive or dead I didn't know, but I hoped for the best. Beth said to have faith, and that was what I was holding on to. Without the idea of Vic being out there... I'd be a different man.

Beth came to stand behind me, resting her hand on my shoulder.

We didn't say anything, because we didn't need to. Over the time we'd been together since the prison fell, we'd grown close friends. We understood each other better now. That's how she knew I was hurting as much as she was, but it's also why she knew not to say anything.

 

...

 

I opened the front door of the funeral home, Beth staying back as I banged my hand on the door frame.

Giving a whistle, I listened out for movement. "Give it a minute." I told her.

When there was no sound, or movement I carefully stepped inside, crossbow at the ready, moving slowly and silently. Beth closed the door gently, staying close to me, but far enough that she could run if we got in trouble.

"It's so clean." she noted.

I nodded. "Yeah. Someone's been tending to it. May still be around."

I walked into the first room, chairs set up in front of a coffin, with a piano against the wall. A body lay in the coffin, but it didn't look like a walker...

I reached forward, my knuckles brushing the skin. Makeup wiped away, leaving it the waxy grey coloured skin walkers had. Looking to Beth we shared a look before moving on.

We got to the basement, where whoever had worked here put the make up on the walkers and dressed them up. I moved to the cabinets, pulling out some strapping for Beth.

"Let's get that ankle wrapped." closing the cabinet I ripped open the plastic around the strapping with my teeth. Looking at Beth, I watched her stare at the walker in front of her, make up half done. "Looks like somebody ran out of dolls to dress up."

"It's beautiful. Whoever did this cared. They wanted these people to get a funeral. They remembered these things were people, before all this. They didn't let it change them in the end. Don't you think that's beautiful?"

I watched her, staying silent, thinking it over like maybe I'd give an answer... but I wasn't sure what I felt about it really because it didn't matter what or who they were, what they became was a thing that ate people.

I pushed off the wall. "Come on." setting her up on the counter I knelt down on the ground, wrapping her ankle up.

 

...

 

It was getting late. We were staying here for the night, obviously, but we had no food... so we headed for the kitchen where we searched the fridge and all the cupboards.

"Dang." she sighed when she came up with nothing. "You find anything?"

I opened the last cupboard... it was full of food.

"Whoa!"

"Peanut butter and jelly, diet soda and pig's feet. That's a white trash brunch right there." I grabbed a jar of the first thing I saw, jelly.

"It all looks good to me." she shrugged, grabbing her own jar of food.

"No, hold up." there was something weird about this food. Stepping back, I took a better look at it. "Ain't a speck of dust on this."

"So?"

"That means somebody just put it here. This is someone's stash. Maybe they're still alive." I nodded. "All right. We'll take some of it, and we'll leave the rest, all right?"

"I knew it." she smiled.

"Knew what?"

"It's like I said. There are still good people."

I open jar jelly sticking my finger in it and digging out some before bringing it to my mouth, licking my fingers like a pig. "Mmm."

"Gross." she grabbed her food and turned away.

I went to follow before turning back. "All right, those pig's feet are mine." I told her, pointing at the jar before walking out with her.

 

...

 

I followed the sound of a piano, Beth singing in one of the rooms. It was like the first one, chairs and a coffin, just no walker. She'd set up some candles too, giving her some light so she could see what she played.

I leaned against the doorway, watching her.

"And pine for summer. And we'll buy. A beer to shotgun. And we'll lay in the lawn. And we'll be good."

I cleared my throat, causing her to jump and turn to look at me.

"The place is nailed up tight." I told her as I set my crossbow on the old fancy chair. "The only way in is through the front door." I added, moving to stand by the coffin before jumping into it.

"What are you doing?"

I sighed swinging my legs in. "This is the comfiest bed I've had in years."

"Really?"

"I ain't kidding." I laid down. "Why don't you go ahead and play some more? Keep singing."

"I thought my singing annoyed you."

"Hmm, there ain't no jukebox though." I joked, giving her a small grin.

She smiled before turning around to play again. "And we'll buy. A beer to shotgun. And we'll lay in the lawn. And we'll be good. Now I'm laughing at me boredom. At my string of failed attempts..."

 

...

 

"Going as fast as I can."

"Forget that."

She chuckled as I lifted her into my arms, pushing the kitchen door open as I carried her towards the table where we'd set up some food.

"Here you go." I set her in a chair with a sigh, moving around the table to my own seat. "All right. Let's eat."

The cans outside rattled, something pushing on the rope they were tied to.

I got up, grabbing my crossbow. "Stay." I told her before rushing out, aiming for the door just in case as I moved towards it.

Once I was close enough I looked out the crack of the wooden panels, out the glass and to the porch. There I saw a white scruffy dog with one eye.

I opened the door, calling out to Beth. "It's just a dog."

I turned back to it, thinking of Houdini.

Vic loved that dog, they'd been inseparable from day one. Then Aly came along and he'd protected and loved her just as much as Vic. The three of them were best of friends... I had no doubt that if Vic was alive, he'd be with her, protecting her.

I crouched down, reaching for the dog. "Hey." he sniffed my hand. "Come here, boy." I went to grab its collar, but it jumped back, making a noise before it ran off.

Shaking my head I stood, walking back inside.

"He wouldn't come in?"

I closed the door, looking at Beth over my shoulder. "I told you to stay back."

"Yeah, but." she shrugged. "Daryl, you said there was a dog."

She was a lot like Vic, I realized... they were both caring and kind and understanding. They could read into things, people, better than others. They loved people so much it crushed them once they were gone. They fought for what they believed in and never backed down.

But Vic was tougher. She was stronger, and braver and smarter. The world had built her into someone who didn't fully belong in the old world, but was still a little too gentle for this one...

Beth, she'd changed, I could see it even if she couldn't. But it wasn't by much... it wasn't enough.

"Maybe he'll come back around." I shrugged, nodding for her to turn around. "Come on." I told her before we headed back for the kitchen.

 

...

 

"I'm gonna leave a thank-you note." Beth smiled as she searched through the bag I'd grabbed from the lodge, trying to find a pen or something.

"Why?" I asked, eating jelly from a jar with a spoon.

She shrugged. "For when they come back. If they come back. Even if they're not coming back, I still want to say thanks."

I thought about the people that might still live here. I had a feeling it was only one person... Maybe they could use some company. It wasn't like Beth and I really had a place to go. We had no idea if anyone else got out alive and if they did we didn't know where they went or where they were going...

"Daryl, look." she pulled out a ring from the bag, showing it to me.

It was nice, expensive looking, but simple too. I wouldn't have been able to afford it... Silver with a diamond and two pale blue gems on either side.

"Maybe when you find Vickie, you could give this to her?"

I looked up, shocked. "What?"

Her smile widening. "Yeah. You could give this to her, and you can get married. Not like before, but like how Maggie and Glenn did. You'll be together, and never lose each other again."

Thinking it over for a moment, I slowly nodded. "Maybe. But for now... why don't we stay here? Just for a while. Till your foot gets better. The people will come back, and we'll just make it work. They may be nuts, but maybe it'll be all right."

The can outside rattled again before the dog barked.

Grunting, I set my jar down before reaching for the pigs feet. "I'm gonna give that mutt one more chance."

I made my way back to the front door, opening it without checking. That was a mistake.

Walkers were piled on the porch, pushing at the door.

I tried to close it, pressing my back against it as I yelled out. "Beth! Beth!"

She hobbled out as fast as she could, carrying my crossbow. I gestured for her to pass it, and so she tossed it my way.

I caught it mid-air. "Run! Run!" I told her.

Once she was gone I stepped away from the door, letting it open. Aiming my crossbow I shot the first walker, but I knew there were too many and I couldn't shoot them all. Not like this.

"Beth, pry open a window. Get your shit." I yelled out before running through the house, the walkers following me.

"I'm not gonna leave you." I heard her call back.

"Go out. Go up the road. I'll meet you there. Go!"

I stabbed a walker in the head with one of my bolts. "This way." I called them as I moved to the basement.

I stopped and waited for a moment, shooting the first one I saw to give me sometime before I grabbed the table the dead walker with makeup on was lying on, rolling it over so I could stand in the corner and use it to keep the other walkers away from me.

They pressed against it, reaching for me, trying to grab at anything so they could pull me to them. I stayed back, only getting close enough with my hand to there were too many, I couldn't stay like this.

I got down on the ground, crawling along the floor until I was on the other side and away from the walkers. I grabbed the other bed, pushing it against them to keep them away before turning to leave.

A walker went for me, and I stabbed it quickly, running up the stairs to go. Before I did, I grabbed my bolt for the walker I'd shot, and then run through the house.

Once I was outside, I kept running, moving as fast as I could, heading for the road, my feet pounding on the ground as I tried to get away from the few walkers that were around.

One came out of the trees, standing in front of me.

I stopped, smashing its head in with my crossbow, grunting, before moving on.

At last I got to the road, the walkers far enough away that I was safe for now... but there was something wrong. The bag I'd gotten from the lodge was lying on the road, everything lying on the ground as if it had been dropped suddenly.

The sound of tyres screeching had me turn just in time to see a black car with a white cross on the back window speed off.

"Beth!" I yelled, running after the car. "Beth! Beth!"

I was not losing her. I was not losing anyone else.

 

...

 

The sun was up and the car was long gone. I'd been following this road all morning, in the hopes of finding it again. I wouldn't give up, I couldn't. She needed me. They could be doing anything to her. And I needed her. Or I'd fall and turn into something I didn't like.

If I gave up on her, it I just let them go, what kind of person would I be? What kind of man? Definitely not one that deserved to live. Definitely not one that deserved Vic.

I came to a fork in the road, two choices, two way the cay could have gone... Train tracks they could have followed, houses they could be holed up in.

I had no idea which way to go, where to start, how to move on...

My crossbow fell from my grasp, landing on the ground as I dropped next to it panting... I was lost.

 

...

 

"Well, look here."

A man stopped in front of me, five other guys moving around in a circle to surround us. I looked up, seeing they were all armed, and not one of them looked too friendly...

The one that had talked, I guess he was the leader, stepped forward, going to reach for my crossbow.

I threw my fist up, smacking him the face as I grabbed my crossbow and stood. All the other guys aiming their weapons at me as I pointed mine at the leader who was now on the ground.

"Damn it!" he grunted. "Hold up!"

"I'm claiming the vest." One of the other said from behind me. "I like them wings."

"Hold up." the leader wiped his nose, looking at his hand where there was blood. Laughing, he got to his feet, shaking his head. "A bowman." his laughter stopped as he grinned at me. "I respect that. See, a man with a rifle, he could have been some kind of photographer or soccer coach back in the day, but a bowman's a bowman through and through.

"What you got there, 150-pound draw weight? I'll be donkey-licked if that don't fire at least 300 feet per second. I've been looking for a weapon like that. Of course, I'd want one with a bit more ammo, and uh, minus the oblongata stains."

The guy behind me laughed. "Get yourself in some trouble, partner?"

"You pull that trigger, these boys are gonna drop you several times over." the leader noted. "That what you want? Come on, fella, suicide is stupid. Why hurt yourself when you can hurt other people?" his smile widened. "Name's Joe."

I lowered my crossbow, looking at all the guys before turning back to Joe. "Daryl."

**  
**

**Chapter 21**

**Terminus**

**DPOV**

I had been up for hours, hunting a rabbit for breakfast. It was a quick little thing, getting away from me every time I tried to shoot it with my crossbow. But now, I had it in my sights, and I could tell this was going to be the shot.

I pulled the trigger, the bolt flying through the air to hit the rabbit. But as mine hit it, another got it as well.

I spun around, seeing one of the guys from the group behind me, his own bow raised.

"What the hell you doin'?" I stood, pissed.

He just shrugged. "Catching me some breakfast."

"It's mine." I told him as I moved towards the rabbit.

"My arrow's the one that hit first. The cottontail belongs to me."

Crouching down I lifted the animal. "Been out here since before the sun came up." I pulled the bolts out of it.

"You see, the rules of the hunt don't mean jack out here. Now that rabbit you're holdin' is claimed, boy." he told me, watching as I threw his bolt over into the bushes. "Claimed whether you like it or not." as he went on I walked up to him. "So's I was you, I'd hand it over, now, 'fore you get to wishing you ain't never even got out of bed this mornin'."

"Ain't yours."

"You know, I bet this bitch got you all messed up. Hmm? Am I right?"

I passed him, not wanting to hear him talk anymore.

The mention of a girl had three names come to mind. Aly. I was worried about her, as if she were my one flesh and blood. Beth. I felt more guilt about losing her than anything else, we'd gotten close during our time together. And then there was Vic. Even a simple thought of her had everything inside me twist and pull in pain, guilt, regret...

"Got you walking out here like a dead man who just lost himself a piece of tail. Must have been a good one."

I stopped. Yeah, they were good girls. All of them. Strong. Smart. Caring. Sweet even though the world had turned bitter...

"Tell me something. Was it one of the little ones?"

That was it. I got my knife out of its sheath, ready to slice this guy into tiny pieces.

He sighed. "'Cause they... don't last too long out here."

I lifted my knife, turning as I got ready to swing and kill.

Suddenly Joe came out of nowhere, grabbing my arm. "Easy, fellas. Easy." the bow guy just laughed. "Let's just put our weapons down. See it we can't figure out what's really the problem here, huh?" Joe turned to the other guy. "Did you claim it?"

He adjusted his bow. "Hell yeah."

With that Joe turned to me. "Well, there you go. That critter belongs to Len."

"So let's have it."

I looked at both of them, not moving a muscle. This was my rabbit. I wasn't giving it to no one. If they wanted something to eat they could hunt for themselves. Especially this bow asshole.

"Looks like you may be wanting an explanation. See, going it alone, that ain't an option nowadays. Still, it is survival of the fittest. That's a paradox right there. So I laid out some rules of the road to keep things going Darwin every couple hours. Keep our merry band together and stress-free. All you got to do is claim. That's how you mark your territory, your prey, your bed at night. One word. 'Claimed'."

"I ain't claimin' nothing."

Len stepped up to Joe. "We're gonna teach him, right? The rules say we got to teach him."

"That wouldn't be fair to punish you for violating a rule you never even knew existed." one Joe started talking, Len sighed, shaking his head as he walked a little ways away.

"Ain't no rules no more." I stated, Len turning to me as we stared each other down.

"Oh, there are. You know that. That's why I didn't kill you for the crossbow." Joe said before he grabbed the end of the rabbit I wasn't holding.

"Hey." I raised my bolt, ready to fight for the rabbit.

"Easy there, partner." Joe backed up to the tree behind us, resting the rabbit against it as he used his other hand to grab his small axe and chop the rabbit in half.

He threw the head end to Len, who looked down at it. Happy with what he got, he just walked off, leaving Joe and I by the tree.

"Claimed. That's all you got to say." Joe shrugged. "Hey, ass end is still an end." he finished before walking off.

I stayed there a moment longer as they left. I didn't exactly want to follow them, but you can't be alone in the world these days. It didn't mean I could hang back for a moment to get some space.

I had a feeling the bow guy was going to be a problem...

"D-Daryl." someone coughed, saying my name weakly.

I turned around, seeing Zach come out of the trees, limping, looking weak.

"What the hell?" I rushed up to him putting my crossbow down as I helped him sit on the ground, leaning him up against a tree. "Where the hell did you come from?"

"I got out with Vickie and Aly." he told me as he groaned, face twisting in pain as he grasped his leg.

I looked down, seeing that he was bit. "Vic?" my eyes went wide at the thought of her being bit out there somewhere.

He shook his head. "She got away. They both did. Houdini too."

"You've been out here all this time?"

"Yeah, Vickie got us out. She's been taking care of us. Looking for everyone. Her family. You."

"Where? Where are they now?" I needed to know. I needed to find them. I didn't care if that meant leaving these new guys. Vic was what was important. Vic and Aly, Houdini too. Family.

But he just shook his head. "They're gone. Haven't seen them for since the night before yesterday. And I couldn't tell you which way I came from or they went. It's all the same to me."

"How long have you been like this?"

"Since that night. Vic was going to do it. End it. But I didn't want to leave her with that. Killing me after everything, it's too much."

I nodded, silently thanking him. He probably wouldn't understand how much that would have actually helped. With everything Vic's gone through, killing him would not have been good.

She'd been through a lot, and the smallest thing could bring out the animal in her. Not as bad as when we found her in the prison, but still not the Vic we all know today.

"Do you want me to do it?" I offered. I would have preferred not to, killing someone is never nice. But just like Dale, I knew it had to be done, to end the pain and misery. I was willing to help because of that.

He nodded stiffly. "Please."

Sighing, I stood, raising my cross bow. "I'm sorry." then, I shot him.

 

...

 

I walked behind the group, Joe beside me as the others walked ahead, keeping their eyes open for any movement. My head wasn't really here at the moment. I couldn't stop thinking about Zach and what he'd told me...

Vic was alive...

"So what's the plan, Daryl?" Joe asked, pulling me back to reality.

We were following some train tracks, walking under a bridge right now.

I shrugged. "How so?"

"You're with us now, but you ain't soon?"

"Yep." I answered simply.

"So what's the plan?"

Vic was the plan. I was going to leave these guys and look for her. She wouldn't have gotten too far. Not with Aly and Houdini, and her shoulder. Plus she was still recovering from being sick.

I shook my head, answering Joe. "Just looking for the right place is all."

"Oh. We ain't good enough for you, huh?" he took a drag from his smoke.

"Some of you ain't exactly friendly." I noted.

He grinned, shaking head. "You ain't so friendly yourself. You know, you need a group out here."

"Maybe I don't."

"No, you do. You should be with us." he suggested, just as a walker came into view, snarling. "People don't got to be friendly. We don't have to be nice. We don't have to be brother's-in-arms."

The others killed the walker, before moving on.

Joe kept talking. "We just got to follow the rules. You claim. If you steal, you keel. I know that sounds a little funny, but nobody laughs when something goes missing. And you don't lie. 'Cause that's a slippery slope indeed."

"What happens if you break them?

"You catch a beating. The severity of which depends upon the offence and the general attitude of the day. But that don't happen much, 'cause when men like us follow rules and cooperate a little but, well, the world becomes ours." whistling to the others, Joe gestured to the garage next to us. "Right there. That's our abode for the evening."

I stopped. "Hey. There ain't no 'us'." I told him, wanting to make that clear.

He turned back to me as the others moved towards the garage. "You leaving right now?" when I didn't say anything he went on. "No? Then it sure seems like there's an 'us'." turning, he moved to join the others.

"You a cat person, Daryl? I am. Loved them since I was a three years old. Vicious creatures. Anyway, I'll tell you, and this is true, ain't nothin' sadder than an outdoor cat that thinks he's an indoor cat." he finished before turning around again, moving towards the garage.

 

...

 

I walked into the garage after all the others, closing the door behind me as they checked the place out for walkers or supplies. There were a few cars, five, but it looked like they weren't going anywhere.

"They ain't here. Nobody's been here for a while." one of the guys noted. "Whoever was, they got all the gas."

Joe shrugged. "That don't matter. We're getting closer. I can feel it."

I walked up to one of the cars, looking through the window. It looked good to sleep in.

One of the others came along, kicking my stuff away. "Claimed."

"Claimed."

Everyone started calling out claimed. I just grabbed my crossbow, and moved towards the pickup truck.

"Claimed."

But of course, Len came along, throwing his things in the back of it. "Claimed." he stated, grinning smugly as he watched me move to the middle of the room where I dumped my things.

"Claimed."

There were no cars left, so I just sat on the floor, not even going to bother saying anything. I had shelter over my head, and I knew Vic was alive. Things could be worse. Lying down, I used my bag for a pillow as I looked up at the rood, ready to get some sleep.

But my mind was too busy and loud, as my head filled with thoughts and images of Vic...

 

...

 

Cinnamon stick in my mouth from the golf club, I looked up at the roof, thinking about the time Vic and I had gotten stuck in the cabin when she couldn't remember who I was...

"You got to be kidding me." Len groaned pulling me from my thoughts. "Christ!" I sat up to see what was going on, only to see him walking towards me. "Give it here."

"You step back." I told him, warning. I was not in the mood.

"My half was in the bag. Now it's gone. Now ain't nobody round here in'erested in no half a damn cottontail 'cept you." he turned to Joe. "Ain't that right?"

I stood up, sick and tired of this guy's bullshit. "You're the only one still thinkin' about that crap!"

He reached for my stuff. "Empty your bag."

Snatching my bag up, I kept it out of his reach, backing away. "I said, step back!"

Joe reached over, taking my bag. "Did you take his rabbit, Daryl? Tell me the truth."

"I didn't take nothing."

"What do we got here?" he emptied my bag, everything falling onto the ground. "Come on." shaking the bag to make sure everything was out, we all watched as the rabbit head fell on to everything else. "Well, look at that."

I turned to Len. "You put that there, didn't you? When I went out to take a piss?" I yelled, angry and close to enraged that this asshole was playing games with me.

"You lied."

I shoved him, ignoring his accusations as I asked again. "Didn't you?"

"You lied. You stole." he pointed his finger in my face, poking my in the chest. "We gonna teach this fool or what, Joe? Huh?"

"Whoa, whoa." Joe stepped between us, breaking it up before things got bloody. "Daryl says he didn't take your half of the rabbit. So we got a little conundrum here. Either he's lying, which is an actionable offence, or..." he laughed. "You didn't plant it on him like some pussy, punk ass, cheating, coward cop, did you? 'Cause while that wouldn't be specifically breaking the rules, it's be disappointing."

Len gave a short nod. "It would. I didn't."

"Good." Joe looked to me and I thought for sure he was going to believe this asshole over me. I thought for sure I was a goner. "Well..." suddenly he turned, elbowing Len in the face, who then fell to the ground groaning. "Teach him a lesson, gent. He's a lyin' sack of shit. I'm sick of it. Teach him all the way."

The others came to circle around Len, each of them kicking him while he was still down, not giving him the chance to get up.

Joe stepped up to me. "I saw him do it."

"Why didn't you try to stop him?"

He shrugged. "He wanted to play that out. I let him. You told the truth. He lied. You understand the rules. He doesn't." he grabbed the rabbit off the floor. "Looks like you get the head, too." he tossed it to me before walking off back to his bed.

I moved to my stuff, shoving it all back into my bag as the others continued to kick and punch Len as he stayed on the ground. I didn't look at them, I didn't care. But there was part of me that was questioning what I should do next. Whether I should stay and risk upsetting these guy. Or leave and look for the Vic and the others, alone, outside, with walkers...

 

...

 

A loud bang walk me up as the guys opened the door. I sat up, looking around to see what they were doing, only to have my eyes fall on the floor where there was a large blood stain...

The guys were all grabbing their things, getting ready to leave. Looking away from the blood, I did the same, getting up of the floor and grabbing all my stuff before following them to the door as we left.

I stopped.

On the ground, on the other side on the railing, was Len's motionless body. It was hardly recognisable, all bloody and swollen and bruised, with a bolt in his head.

Grabbing a sheet that sat next to the railing, I went to cover him. It would have been the respectful thing to do. But then I remembered everything he'd done, all the trouble he caused me, and I changed my mind.

Dropping the sheet on the ground, I turned and followed the others, not giving Len a second thought.

 

...

 

Joe and I were behind the others once more, walking through a field as we headed towards some more train tracks. I wasn't sure these guys were going, but it seemed they had an idea in mind, somewhere they were headed.

Joe took a drink from his flask before offering me some. "White Lightning." he told me as I took the flask. "Easiest thing to make with the east amount of supples. I'd start slow if I was you. Your stomach's probably emptier than you think."

Bringing it to my lips, I took a big drink. "Mmm." I nodded, handing it back to him. "I ain't been lit at dawn since before everything fell apart."

"'Fell apart'? I never looked at it like that. Seems to me like things are finally starting to fall together. At least for guys like us. Living like this, surviving, we've been doing this from the start, right?"

We walked on to the tracks, seeing the others standing in front of a sign that lead towards a place called Terminus.

"Getting closer." one of the guys said before they all turned to move on.

I pointed to the sign. "You've seen this before?"

"Oh, yeah. I'll tell you what it is. It's a lie. Ain't no sanctuary for all. Ain't gonna welcome guys like you and me with open arms." Joe said simply before walking on.

I followed him. "So is that where we're headed?"

"So now you're asking?"

"That's right."

"We were in a house minding our own business, and uh, this walking piece of faecal matter was hiding in the home. Strangled our colleague Lou and left him to turn. Lou came at all of us." he shook his head. "He lit out. We tracked him to these tracks, one of those signs, and thus we got a destination in mind."

"You see his face?"

"Only Tony." he pointed to one of the guys in front of us. "That's enough for a reckoning."

I looked to Tony, seeing that he was looking down at a small plant by the tracks, a peach growing on it. "Claimed." I called out before he could, moving to snatch the plant out of the ground.

Moving back on to the tracks, following the others, I pulled the peach off the plant, throwing the rest of it way.  _Maybe things won't be so bad. I just gotta follow their rules. Get to Terminus. It's where Vic will go..._

**VPOV**

I looked up at the sign that sat on the side on the road.  _Terminus_.  _Sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrive, survive._

"Vickie?" Aly tugged on my shirt, standing on the ground with her other hand holding on to Houdini's collar.

I sighed, nodding as I looked down at her. "You think it's a good idea?"

Aly had noticed the sign, but couldn't read very well, so I had read it to her and explained what it meant. She'd brightened up right away. She was set on the idea of going there, because she thought it's where the rest of our family would go if they saw the signs.

The fact she'd been really down since we lost Zach had me thinking that maybe going to Terminus would be good if it kept her happy. But there was a little voice in the back of my head reminding me of the Governor and how he'd invited people into Woodbury even though he was a bad guy...

"What if it's a trap?" I asked her, knowing she was only a little girl and wouldn't exactly know much about the situation at hand.

She just shrugged. "You and Daryl brought people in."

She was right there. We had let people in at the prison and that hadn't been a trap. People were unsure about us too. Maybe I was just been paranoid.

Besides, I knew if Maggie and Glenn saw these signs, they'd follow them. They would have faith. Dad would at least give it a go, even though he'd be feeling the same way as me. Daryl... well it depends on who he was with. He might think I wouldn't go, he might think I would, it was hard to tell with him.

Sighing, I gave a short nod, seeing our chances weren't good either way, and it could only get better. "Okay." I told her. "We'll go."

**  
**

**Chapter 22**

**One Small Rabbit**

**RPOV**

Carl and Michonne sat in front of our little fire, our camp small and surround by rope with tin on them to alert us if walkers pressed against it to get in. It was the best we could do with the options we had.

I moved to join them, crouching in between them. "How hungry are you?" I asked. "Scale of one to ten?"

"Fifteen." Carl answered

"Twenty eight." Michonne added.

I gave a little grin. "Yeah, well. It's been a while. I'm gonna go check the snares." I told them as I stood.

Carl looked up at me. "Can I go with you?"

Giving a little shrug and smile, I answered. "How else are you gonna learn?" kicking some sand on to the fire to extinguish it I looked to Michonne. "Hey, you, too." I grabbed my gun and bag before we started walking. "We'll stay another day or two. Get some more rest."

"Finish healing up?" Michonne suggest.

Nodding we kept walking. "I'm almost there."

Carl sighed. "We're close now, right?"

"To Terminus?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Yeah."

"We are."

"When we get there, are we gonna tell them?"

Michonne and I turned to him. "Tell them what?" Michonne asked.

"Everything that's happened to us. All the stuff we've done. Are we gonna tell them the truth?"

There was a silence that fell between us for a moment as I thought about how to answer his question. It wasn't like we could tell them everything. If people knew of the things we'd done, they'd never let us in. Heck, I wouldn't even let people in if I found out they'd done things like we had...

But it wasn't like I could tell that to Carl. He wouldn't completely understand.

"We're gonna tell them who we are." I answered simply.

"But how do you say that? I mean... Who are we?"

We looked up at the sound of snarling, a walker moving towards us. Lifting our guns, Michonne grabbing her sword, we moved towards the walker, ready to get rid of it a move on as fast as possible.

**CPOV**

Dad led us towards the trap, moving a little faster once he saw it. "There you go." he knelt down by it. "It's a small one." he noted, grabbing the rabbit and taking it out of the trap. "It'll do." he shoved it in the bag before showing Michonne and I the trap. "So, this is just a simple slipknot." he grabbed the string. "Tie one on both ends, then you tighten one side to a branch. Now you see how the ground here is sort of like a funnel shape?"

I looked to where he gestured. "It's a trail?"

He nodded. "That's right. That's where you want to set the noose. So you hide it with leaves, then you put sticks all around it, so any animals going by have to run this way right into the trap." he put his hand in the loop and pulled.

"Help! Somebody help!"

I looked up, hearing someone yell out. Without hesitating, I started to run, following their voice.

"Carl." dad reached for me, but I moved to fast. "Carl, stop!"

"Get back!" the person screamed.

"Carl!" I could hear dad behind me, him and Michonne following.

"Help! Get away! Get back! Help! Somebody help! Help me!"

I came to a clearing, the man in middle of it all with a small herd of walkers circling him, getting closer and closer.

I raised my gun ready to shoot the walkers to help the guy.

"Get away! No!" he screamed

Suddenly I was grabbed from behind, dad pulling me back to hide us behind a tree. "We can't help him." he told me.

Straining my neck, I looked around the tree only to see the walkers grab the man, one of them bite on his face, rip flesh off as blood poured out of the wound. He screamed and fell to the ground, the rest of the walkers falling down with him as they started to rip him apart.

"No! No! No!" he screamed.

A walker stood, noticing us as we stayed behind the tree, before moving in our direction.

"We got to go." Michonne whisper.

Hesitating a moment dad kept a hold of me before we moved, rushing through the trees as a few more walkers started to follow us.

We ran, moving through the trees, trying to keep away from the walkers as they followed us. Panting hard and fast, I just kept my eyes forward, thinking of getting out of here alive and nothing more.

We kept moving, staying together, running as fast as we could until we came to the edge of the woods. More tracks were a head of us, so we moved to them before following their path, still running as the walkers continued to follow us.

Gun now at the ready, in my hand, I stayed with dad and Michonne.

Dad stopped.

Looking past him I could see more walkers ahead on the tracks, eating someone. Grabbing his gun, dad moved forward. Michonne followed, with her sword in hand. I was close behind, just as ready as they were. It was time to fight. To survive.

 

...

 

We walked along the road, the walkers now gone seeing as we had dealt with them. Now we were on a different mission. Find food and a place to sleep.

"Thought maybe there'd be some houses down this way. Maybe even a store. There's got to be some food around here somewhere." Michonne sighed.

"Hey look." I pointed to the abandoned car just up ahead.

It wasn't a house or anything like that and it wasn't going to be very comfortable. But it he walls and a roof. It would be safer than sleeping outside, out in the open where anyone or anything could find us.

Grabbing my gun, ready just in case, we moved towards it.

**VPOV**

I laughed as Aly played leap frog with Houdini, trying to jump over him as best as she could before ducking, only to have Houdini moved around her and stop. He'd wait and let her jump over him again, repeating the cycle.

He made her so happy and it warmed my heart.

I thought of the future. Food was already hard to find, and hunting wasn't an option at times. I thought about the group. What if we all found each other and then couldn't find food. Would people want to eat Houdini?

I would never allow it. Not when he made Aly so happy. So loved him so much and he loved her. And I loved the fact that they were both in my lives. I knew if they weren't with me, even back at the prison, I wouldn't be the way I was now.

I was soft and caring, but hard and tough when I needed to be. She made me someone I wanted to be, not something I had to be. In a world like this, that meant a lot.

"Vickie." she turned to me. "You think we'll be there soon?"

We'd been walking for a while, last night we'd stopped for only a few hours before moving on. I couldn't afford to stop when we were so close to sanctuary.

Nodding, I gave her a little smile. "Shouldn't be long now." I looked up at the sky, seeing it would be dark soon. One more night, and by tomorrow afternoon we should be there.

**RPOV**

Carl was asleep in the car. After having that small rabbit, sharing it amongst all three of us, it had been at least enough to help him get to sleep. Michonne and I still sat outside though, by fire where it was warm. The night sky was above us, buzzing around bugs, the cool air on our backs. It was actually quite nice.

"That was one small rabbit." I noted, making conversation.

"It was something. Got to hand it to the thing. It travelled well." Michonne smiled.

I gave a little chuckle, looking down at the fire. "Have you noticed that's all we talk about any more? Food." I sighed. "I forgot what this feels like."

"Me, too. I hope we're able to forget again soon."

I nodded. "We're close. Just got to make it through another day." I told her, killing the fire by dragging dirt on to it with my foot. "If folks there are taking people in, they have to be strong. They have to have a system."

"I wonder if the whole thing's legit."

A twig snapped.

Michonne turned as she grabbed her sword. Standing, I pulled out my gun, both of us staying quiet as me looked around, listening, waiting.

When there was nothing I sat again, relaxing a little. "We let people in."

"We did. So did the Governor." she noted.

"Yeah, it's always the same, isn't it? Don't get to know until we know."

"Hmm."

"Maybe this place isn't even there anymore..."

A gun was suddenly pressed against my head. "Oh, dearie me."

Michonne reached for her sword, only to have someone else come out of nowhere and kick it away as he aimed his gun at her, other's coming out of the bushes with more weapons.

"You screwed up, asshole." the guy pressing a gun to my head spoke. "You hear me? You screwed up." he leaned closer to my ear. "Today is a day of reckoning, sir. Restitution. A balancing of the whole damn universe."

A guy moved to the car looking at Carl as he put a knife to the window.

"Shit, and I was thinking of turning in for the night on New Year's Eve!" the leader next to me laughed. "Now who's gonna count the ball dropper with me, huh? Ten Mississippi. Nine Mississippi. Eight Mississippi-"

"Joe!"

Daryl came out of the shadows, cutting the leader of as he looked to Michonne and me.

Vickie came to my mind for a second as hope filled me at the thought of my daughter being safe. Because there was no doubt in my mind she'd be with Daryl

But then realisation hit me, along with fear, dread and confusion. Because I knew Daryl wouldn't be with people like this if he was with Vickie. And I knew these guys weren't going to listen to anything we said, they were going to kill us if we did nothing. I just had no idea why Daryl was with them...

"Hold up." Daryl looked to the leader again.

"You're stopping me on eight, Daryl."

He walked forward. "Just hold up."

One of the other guys wasn't having any of it. He wanted us dead. "This is the guy that killed Lou, so we got nothing to talk about."

But the leader was ready to give Daryl a moment to explain, which had me hoping things would end up okay... "The thing about nowadays is we got nothing but time. Say your piece, Daryl."

"These people, you're gonna let them go." Daryl gestured to us. "These are good people."

The leader spoke up. "Now I think Lou would disagree with you on that. I'll of course, have to speak for him and all, 'cause your friends here strangled him in a bathroom."

"You want blood. I get it." Daryl dropped his crossbow before raising his hands. "Take it from me, man. Come on."

"This man killed our friend. You say he's good people. See, now that right there i-i-is a lie!" the leader yelled before Daryl's hands dropped, his face telling me he knew something we didn't and it wasn't good. "It's a lie!"

Daryl shook his head. "Come on-"

The others ganged up on him, one of them punching him in the stomach, knocking the air out of Daryl.

"No!" I went to get up, only to have the gun pressed against my head harder.

The men moved Daryl away, towards the car as they started to beat him up.

"Teach him, fellas." the leader called. "Teach him all the way."

The car door opened as the guy standing by it dragged Carl out. Carl squirmed, and struggled, knowing he was in danger.

"You leave him be!" I order, trying to get up again, ready to defend my son. But I was pushed down, the gun still on my temple.

The man holding Carl pressed his knife against Carl's neck, grinning against his ear. Carl cried, struggling, but couldn't get free.

Michonne turned, but the other man still had his gun aimed at her. She couldn't move. "You'll get yours. You just wait your turn." he told her.

"Listen, it was me. It was just me."

The leader nodded, leaning over me. "See, now that's right. That's not some damn lie. Look, we can settle this. We're reasonable men. First, we're gonna beat Daryl to death. Then we'll have the girl. Then the boy. Then I'm gonna shoot you, and then we'll be square." he laughed.

I could feel myself filling with rage as I watched the scene before me. This was my family. I had failed Judith. I had failed Vickie. I was not going to fail Carl. It was my job to protect him. To make sure he survived. It was my duty. My responsibility.

The man pushed Carl to the ground, getting on top of him.

"Let him go." I told him, anger building.

"Stop your squirmin'." he laughed at Carl, grabbing and holding him.

"Let him go." I repeated, watching as Carl whimpered, the man still laughing.

I pulled my head back, smacking it into the leader's face, his gun going off in my ear which started to ring. I shook my head, trying to gather myself as fast as I could, getting up as the world spun.

I spin around, swinging my fist into the leader's jaw.

He recovered, elbowing me in the face and knocking me to the ground. "I got him. Oh, it's gonna be so much worse now." he kicked me.

I could hear Carl background in the background, struggling and whimpering, crying and loosing hope. I looked up, seeing the others still beating Daryl.

Daryl beat up.

"Come on! Get up!" the leader kicked me. "Come on! Let's see what you got."

The guy above Carl started undoing his own belt.

That was it. I started to pull myself up off the ground. "Leave him be!" I yelled.

The leader grabbed me. "Right over here." holding me in place, arms wrapped around me tightly, he looked into my face. "What the hell are you gonna do now, sport?"

There was only one thing I could do. Protect my family no matter what. I had no choice. I had to become the monster I'd been trying so hard to bury inside of me, for my family, friends and myself. But now, it was the only thing that would help.

I lunged forward, my teeth burying into his neck as I bit a chunk off, ripping it away from the rest of him and spitting it out on the ground, blood squirting out of the wound as the guy's eyes went wide, his body falling to the ground. The sound of him choking on his own blood slowing stopping.

Everyone and everything stop as they all watched, the men scared.

Michonne moved fast, grabbing the gun of the guy in front of her and turning it to point at his head before pulling the trigger. All the while Daryl took advantage of the guys being distracted before grabbing one of them and smashing their face against the car. Reaching for his crossbow he used it to smash the other guy in the head. Michonne turned to them, shooting the men before they could get back up.

That left one more.

He held his knife against Carl's neck, standing once more. "I'll kill him. I'll kill him!"

"Let the boy go." Michonne told him.

I leaned down, grabbing the leader's knife before standing again. "He's mine." I told her, moving towards the man.

He let Carl go. "Stay back. Please..." he begged, hands up.

I didn't even think, just grabbed him before stabbing the knife into his stomach. He screamed, looking at me with wide eyes. Keeping eye contact and the knife inside him, I dragged the blade up, ripping his skin and insides and I sliced towards his chest. Once I got to the bones and couldn't move anymore I pulled the blade out, stabbing him over and over again.

**  
**

**Chapter 23**

**Sanctuary For All**

**DPOV**

I walked towards the car, placing my crossbow on the hood before moving to Rick, where he leaded against one of the doors, blood all over his face. I pulled out my red handkerchief and a bottle of water, wetting the cloth.

"No, we should save it to drink."

I shook my head. "You can't see yourself." i told him, handing the cloth over. "He can." gesturing in the car where Carl was, I sat next to him with a sigh. "I didn't know what they were."

He gave a short nod, wiping his face. "How'd you wind up with them?"

I knew what he was really asking. Where was Vic and I wasn't I with her. There were no accusations, just worry and confusion.

"I was with Beth." I answered. "We got out together. I was with her for a while."

We fell in silence for a moment as he took in what I said.

"Is she dead?"

Looking at him I answered simply. "She's just gone." I turned away again. "After that, that's when they found me. I mean, I knew they were bad but, they had a code. It was simple. Stupid. But it was something."

"And you were alone."

"Said they were looking for some guy. Last night, they said they spotted him. I was hanging back. I was gonna leave. But I stayed. That's when I saw it was you three. Right when you saw me." I sighed. "I didn't know what they could do."

"It's not on you, Daryl. Hey."

I looked to him.

"None of it's on you. You being back here with us, now, that matters. To us... and to her."

Vic.

Sighing, I rest my head back against the car. "I told her to get on the bus. Told her to stay with Aly. Told her I would come once it was clear..."

"That's good. It means she got away." he tried to reassure me.

But I just shook my head. "I found Zach... He was bit. Told me Vic got him and Aly out of the prison. Houdini too. Said she's been taking care of them out here this whole time, lookin' for us. Family. Me."

"What happened?"

"Walker's swarmed them. Got Zach. Vic killed them, he didn't see Aly or the dog. Told Vic to leave him. Let him turn. Didn't want her to kill him like that. Didn't want her to have to carry that. So, she left him. Got no clue where she went, or where she's headin'."

I knew there was a chance she'd be heading for Terminus. If she thought anyone from the prison would head that way, then she would too. But there was also that part of her that had never really recovered from the eight months on her own. That part would tell her to go the other way. To never trust someone you don't know. To keep looking for us, because we're the ones who will help keep her and Aly safe...

She knew we'd do whatever it took to protect the ones we love. Like last night.

I looked to Rick. "What you did last night, anybody would have done that."

"No, not that." he shook his head.

"Something happened. That ain't you."

"Daryl, you saw what I did to Tyreese. It ain't all of it, but that's me. That's why I'm here now. That's why Carl is. I want to keep him safe. I lost my daughters, he's all I got now. That's all that matters."

 

...

 

We were on the tracks again, heading for Terminus. Rick was up ahead, with Michonne behind him, Carl after her and me in the back keeping an eye out. We came to a fallen Terminus sign, Rick moved to kick some leaves off of it.

"We're gettin' close." I nodded. "Be there before sundown."

"Now we head through the woods." Rick suggested. "We don't know who they are."

"A'right." I agreed, all four of us turning to the left and moving into the trees.

**CPOV**

We got to a chain fence. Moving carefully, and quietly, with our guns at the ready we looked through it, seeing Terminus, ut no people. There was nothing but a few buildings. No movement. No sign of life. It didn't look right...

"We all spread out, watch for a while, see what we see, and get ready. We all stay close." dad told us.

Daryl nodded adjusting his crossbow on his shoulder before walking off.

I went to follow Michonne, only to have dad stop me. "You want to stick with me?" he asked.

I shook my head. "It's all right." I told him before moving off with Michonne.

As we walked, she turned to me once we were alone. "Why didn't you go with your dad?" I didn't say anything just kept walking, so she went on, watching me. "When I told you about Andre, you never asked how he died."

I shrugged. "I knew why."

"Yeah, but the how is important." she stopped so I did the same, turning to look up at her. "We went to a refugee camp. Andre and my boyfriends, Mike... That was Andre's father. And our friend Terry. At the camp, it just got worse and worse. People were leaving. People giving up. But I didn't." she shook her head.

"I was coming back from a run." her voice shook. "I saw the fences were down. I heard the moans. It was over. And Mike and Terry, they were high when it happened. They were bit. I could have stopped it. Could have killed them. But I let them turn." a tear ran down her cheek. "I made it so they couldn't bite, couldn't scratch. I tied chains around their necks.

"It was insane. It was sick. It felt like what I deserved, dragging them around so that I wold always know. I found out they kept me safe. They hid me. The walkers didn't see me anymore. I was just another monster." she looked down at me. "And I was. Me. I was gone for a long time. But then Andrea brought me back." she gave a little smile. "Your dad brought me back. Vickie brought me back. You did."

I looked down at the ground guilty. She didn't know why I wasn't with him. She didn't know what I was thinking... I wasn't scared.

"I see how you've been looking at your dad. You don't have to be afraid of me." she told me, making me look up. "Or him."

"He told me the other day that he was proud of me. That I was a good man." I gave a light, bitter chuckle. "I'm not."

"Carl-"

Cutting her off, I went on. "I know more now. About what he wanted from me. And I tried. But... but I still have these thoughts." I sighed. "I'm not what he thinks I am. I'm just another monster, too."

Giving me a sad look, she took a step forward, wrapping me into a hug.

**DPOV**

I watched as Rick buried our blue duffle bag full of weapons by a marked tree. He pulled out a hand gun as I walked up to him, seeing him place his good gun- the one he'd had since our camp outside of Atlanta- in bag, keeping the hand gun.

He zipped the bag up before turning to me. "Just in case." he said, then began to shovel dirt over the bag.

 

...

 

We climbed over the fence, jumping over I moved to the opposite end of Rick, ready with my crossbow, watching, waiting just in case anybody had already spotted us. Once we were sure we were okay, Rick moved, the rest of us following, moving towards a half open door.

Rick gave me a short nod, opening it and letting me through, my crossbow up and ready for me to shoot as I took the lead.

I followed voices, the others staying behind me with their own weapons at the ready.

"Follow the tracks to the point where all the lines intersect. There are maps at the crossings to help guide you with your journey." I came around a corner seeing an old lady behind a desk speaking into a radio microphone. "Sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrive, survive."

We slowly moved into the room before Rick passed me, striding in confidently, no longer bothering to try and sneak. On the other side of the room were more people, making more sign that we'd seen on the way here, and banners as well.

No one had noticed us yet, everyone still working as the old lady went on. "Terminus, sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who-"

"Hello." Rick cut her off.

The woman stopped speaking turning to us as the people on the other side of the room turned to look as well. We had obviously caught them by surprise.

"Hello." Rick repeated, a little louder.

We came to a stop, the four of us standing in a line, facing the others, keeping out weapons down, but ready just in case.

A guy sighed, putting his paint brush down. "Well, I bet Albert is on perimeter watch." he started to move from behind the work benches, facing us. "You here to rob us?"

"No." Rick answered simply. He started to step forward. "We wanted to see you before you saw us." he placed his gun back into the holster.

The guy, who seemed to be the leader, smiled, nodding. "Makes sense." he started walking closer to us. "Usually we do this where the tracks meet." he cleared his throat. "Welcome to Terminus. I'm Gareth." he came to a stop, looking at each of us. "Looks like you've been on the road for a good bit."

Rick gave a short nod. "We have." he turned to the rest of us. "Rick. That's Carl, Daryl, Michonne." he introduced us."

The guy gave us a little wave before turning his attention back to Rick. "You're nervous. I get it. We were all the same way." he gestured behind him before taking a few steps closer. "We came here for sanctuary. That what you here for?"

"Yes." Rick answered simply, again.

"Good. You found it." he turned around. "Hey Alex." he looked back at us. "This isn't as pretty as the front." he told us as one of the others moved towards us. "We got nothing to hide, but the welcome wagon is a whole lot nicer." the other guy stopped next to Gareth then, as the leader went on. "Alex will take you, ask you a few questions. Uh... but first, we need to see everyone's weapons. If you could just lay them down in front of you."

We all looked from one another, none of us moving at first. I could tell the others were just as suspicious as I was. Being unarmed, defenceless in a place where we knew no one or a way to get out... it didn't exactly sit right with me.

But then, Rick moved.

"All right." he crouched down, placing his gun on the floor.

"I'm sure you understand." Gareth noted.

"Yes, I do." Rick told him as he put his knife down and the rest of us put our own weapons on the ground.

Standing up again, we lifted our arms to the sides, Gareth moving to check Rick while Alex moved to me.

He looked at my eye that was black from the beat down I got last night. "I'd hate to see the other guy." he tried for a joke as he patted me down.

"You would." Rick told him.

Alex moved to Carl. "They deserve it?"

"Yes." Carl answered flatly.

Finished with the pat down, Gareth and Alex moved back, the lead addressing us once more. "Just so you know, we aren't those kind of people, but we aren't stupid either. And you shouldn't be stupid enough to try anything stupid." he smiled. "As long as everyone's clear on that, we shouldn't have any problems. Just solutions. Okay." he turned away then moving back to his work station.

Alex moved to walk in front of each of us, leaning down and grabbing our weapons before handing them back.

Before he could touch my cross bow, I lifted it off the ground. He didn't look at me, just moved on to Carl, seeming nervous...

I watched them all carefully, not feeling right about something. But as Rick followed Alex out of the room and the rest of our small group followed, I decided to wait it out and see where this day would lead.

**RPOV**

We walked out of the building, following Alex. I wasn't sure how I felt about the place yet, so I stayed back, behind the others, to keep an eye on everything, ready to defend my family if the time came.

"So how long has this place been here?" Daryl asked Alex as he walked right behind him.

"Since almost the start. When all the camps got overrun, people started finding this place. I think it was instinct, you know? Follow a path. Some folks were heading to the coast, others out west or up north, but they all wound up here." he finished as we came to a stop in front of a barbeque.

It was a nice open place, a building on each side of the courtyard for protection. Chairs and tables, with umbrellas set up. Flowers and a few things to brighten the place us set around the open area.

But it was the people that really had my attention. There seemed to more here than we had at the prison.

"Hi." the woman behind the barbeque looked up to us. "Heard you came in the back door. Smart. You'll fit right in here."

We none of us responded, Alex turned to her. "Hey, Mary, would you fix each of these new folks a plate for me?"

I looked around, taking in a few details of the place, when I noticed something... something that wasn't right.

A man in a blue cap sat at one of the table, an orange bag in front of him... like the one we had at the prison.

"Why do you do it? Why do you let people in?" Michonne asked.

"The more people become a part of us, we get stronger." Alex answered. "That's why we put up the signs.

A man placed a box on one of the tables, dressed in riot gear... like the ones we had at the prison...

"Invite people in." Alex went on. "It's how we survive." he turned to Carl, offering a plate of barbequed meat. "Here." he then offered Michonne one as well.

I turned to watch him, seeing a chain hanging from his belt and falling into his thigh pocket...

Stepping forward I knocked the plate he was about to offer me out of his hand, before grabbing him from behind, a gun to his head, pulling out the chain from his pocket to reveal a pocket watch, the one Hershel had given Glenn.

"You freak!" Alex struggled.

The other got into action, Daryl lifting his crossbow at Mary, Michonne raising her sword ready to fit, Carl aiming his gun at the people by the tables.

"Where the hell did you get this watch?"

**VPOV**

We'd heard shots last night, for off in the distance, just up ahead of us, but over a little as well. I hoped it wasn't anyone heading this way. I'd stayed up after that just in case.

Aly had asked why we didn't go help. I explained that there could be bad people and that it was best to take care of ourselves, especially because it was night time and we didn't know if there were any walkers between where the other people were and where we were.

Now, with the sun up, a nice day ahead of us, we were moving towards Terminus once more. But we were moving slowly. Seeing as i hadn't eaten much lately, I could feel it taken a toll on my body. I could feel the lack of energy pulling my body down as I tried to walk.

Aly had noticed too, slowly down and staying by my side instead of playing around. She had a knife in her hand too which I didn't like...

"You know you don't need that." I gestured to the knife.

She shrugged. "Carol taught us how to use them.

I froze. "What."

She shrugged again, repeating herself. "Carol taught us how to use knives and protect ourselves. But I remember what you and Daryl told me. Run to a tree and climb it so the walkers can't reach me." she gave a sharp nod. "I know what to do." she smiled lightly.

I gave a little smile back, even though I was having an argument inside my head. I couldn't believe Carol had taught her how to use a knife. Part of me was enraged, but another parts was thankful. At least she had an idea of how to take care of herself...

**RPOV**

"Where the hell did you get this watch?" I repeated.

"You want answers? You want anything else? You get them when you put down the gun." Alex told me, hands raised trying to negotiate with me.

I gestured up at the roof in front of us. "I see your man on the roof with a sniper rifle. How good's his aim? Where's you get the watch?" I asked once more but he still said nothing. "Where'd you get the watch!?"

"Don't do anything! I have this! You just put it down. You put it down!" he told the sniper who then did as he said. "You want to listen to me. There's a lot of us."

I sighed. "Where did you get the watch?"

"I got it off of a dead one. I didn't think he'd need it." he told me.

I nodded, expecting an answer like that. So I turned him towards the other people. "What about the riot gear? The orange bag?"

"Got the riot gear off a dead cop." Gareth answered, coming out of nowhere. "Got the bag out of a car."

"Gareth, we can wait." Alex told his leader.

But Gareth wasn't having any of it. "Shut up, Alex."

"You talk to me." I told Gareth.

"What's there left to say? You don't trust us anymore."

"Gareth-"

Gareth cut Alex off, lifting a hand. "Shut up."

"Gareth, please."

"It's okay. It's okay." Gareth looked to me again. "Rick, what do you want?"

"Where are our people?"

"You didn't answer the question." he closed his hand.

Moving fast I turned just as a shot went off. The bullet hit Alex instead of me, killing him instantly. Then everything turned to chaos.

 

...

 

We had run through the maze of Terminus, trying to get out, but wherever we went, there were people and bullets right there before us. It hadn't taken me long to realise they were shooting at our feet... Each exit we got to would either be closed off or the last one. They were leading us.

Finally getting outside, we caught sight of the fence, and raced towards it, dodging the bullets that followed us. But then we came to a stop as dozens of people came into view, dressed in camouflage behind the fence...

Everywhere around us, there was at least one person aiming a weapon at us. We had nowhere to go...

I turned to Carl, seeing his frightened face.

"Drop your weapons! Now!" Gareth called from one of the rooves. When we didn't move, he yelled louder. "Now!"

We did as he said, dropping all of our weapons on to the ground. We couldn't even hide any, because they'd checked us earlier and knew what we had...

"Ringleader, go to your left. The train car, go." when I turned to look at it but didn't move, he went on. "You do what we say, the boy goes with you. Anything else, he dies, and you end up in there anyway."

With one last look at my son, I turned and headed for the train.

"Now the archer." after a paus, Gareth went on. "Now the Samurai."

I stopped in front of the car, Daryl and Michonne behind me. On the ground I could see empty sachets of powered food and paper bowls...

"Stand at the door, ringleader, archer, samurai, in that order."

"My son." I called out.

"Go, kid."

Carl moved slowly and carefully, heading our way. He was scared, I could tell, and it made me feel helpless. I hated not being in control, not being able to take care of my people, especially my son. We didn't even knew what they were going to do to us...

"Ringleader, open the door and go in."

"I'll go in with him."

"Don't make us kill him now."

I knew these people weren't the type to threat and bluff. They would kill Carl- any of us- given an opportunity. If I didn't do as they said, they'd kill him in an instant without hesitation or remorse.

Knowing this, I gave in, stepping up to the door and pulling it open. Stepping in I watched Carl for as long as I could until I disappeared into the car. Daryl and Michonne were right behind me.

**VPOV**

The sound of gun shots, lots of them, had Aly and I stop. Terminus was only just up ahead, it wasn't far now. But that's where the shots were coming from... and it wasn't just a few, it sounded as if they had some serious gun power...

"Vickie?" Aly looked up at me, scared.

I nodded. "Yeah. I know."

She knew what I knew, that the people there were not nice. They weren't like us, how we'd brought people into the prison. No, they were like the Governor...

Looking down at her, I gave a nod. "You stay close to me, okay?" we had no idea if any of their people were out here. And with all the shots, walkers were bound to be drawn this way. "You stay close and you don't stop moving unless I tell you. Understand?"

"Okay." she nodded, holding on to Houdini's collar tightly.

With that, we turned carefully moving into the woods and off the tracks, heading away from the danger and hoping we could find sanctuary somewhere else...

**RPOV**

When Carl finally walked into the cart with the rest of us, I stepped up, grabbing him and pulling him to me as the door was closed and locked.

There was sound from the other end...

"Rick?" Glenn asked as he came out of the shadows. Maggie, Sasha and Bob with him.

"You're here." I looked to each of them. "You're here."

A few other people stepped forward then, two men a two woman, one I recognised from the Governor's group. The girl with the pigtails...

Maggie noticed the fact I was looking at the new once, so she reassured me they were okay. "They're our friends. They helped save us."

"Yeah." Daryl spoke from behind me. "Now they're friends of ours."

"For however long that'll be." the bigger guy with red hair behind Glenn noted.

I simply shook my head. "No." everyone's eyes fell on me. "They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out." I moved to the door.

"Find out what?" the red head asked.

I looked to them all again. "They're fucking with the wrong people."

**The End...**

 

**Bamby**


End file.
